last week that he’s hoping to stay in Los Angeles, where Mike Trout is expected to return from the injured list in late August as the Angels look to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2014.
And while Ohtani’s contract will expire at the end of the season, the Giants have a ton of payroll flexibility with just $110 million on the books for 2024. Whether or not Ohtani decides he’s willing to negotiate a contract extension in the middle of the season, the Giants would have an exclusive negotiating window of five days between the end of the World Series and the beginning of free agency.
Even if the Giants can’t re-sign him, they would certainly present him with a qualifying offer that would net them a draft pick after the second round of next year’s first-year player draft. Those picks don’t often turn into much, but keep in mind the Giants have had some success there. Casey Schmitt was a second-rounder in 2020, Webb was a fourth-rounder in 2014, Brandon Crawford was a fourth-rounder in 2008 and Brandon Belt was a fifth-rounder in 2009.