Giants great: San Francisco’s perceived problems issue for free agents

The San Francisco Giants have missed out on several marquee free agents in recent seasons, the latest apparently being Shohei Ohtani.

One franchise legend, recently retired star catcher Buster Posey, says the perception of the city may be playing a role in the team’s failures to land a game-breaking star in free agency.

‘Something I think is noteworthy, something that unfortunately keeps popping up from players and even the players’ wives is there’s a bit of an uneasiness with the city itself, as far as the state of the city, with crime, with drugs,” Posey said in an interview with The Athletic.

‘Whether that’s all completely fair or not, perception is reality,’ Posey added. ‘It’s a frustrating cycle, I think, and not just with baseball. Baseball is secondary to life and the important things in life. But as far as a free-agent pursuit goes, I have seen that it does affect things.’

Posey spent his entire career with the Giants, capturing three World Series championships as well as the 2010 Rookie of the Year award and 2012 MVP. He retired after the 2021 campaign and is now a member of the Giants’ ownership group.

HOT STOVE UPDATES: MLB free agency: Ranking and tracking the top players available.