Player poll: SF Giants to miss out on two-way star

The MLB season is in full swing now, and as we approach July, the SF Giants remain red-hot and right in the thick of the NL West and NL Wild Card race, and as usual, the trade deadline will play a crucial part in how the 2023 campaign will play out.

Player poll: SF Giants to miss out on two-way star

One major fish that could be on the move very soon is Shohei Ohtani, who could leave the Angels whether it be at the trade deadline or free agency this off-season, and for Giants fans that believe he could be headed to the Bay, a recent player poll will be bad news.

According to a poll run by The Athletic (subscription required), which gathered the opinion of MLB players, Ohtani is believed to be headed to the Giants' fierce rival LA Dodgers, and unfortunately for the Giants, they didn't feature in the top-5 of player voting, which is a bad sign for them.

Reportedly, Ohtani is set to earn the biggest contract in baseball history, a well deserved mark for someone who leads the AL in both the Cy Young Award and MVP race, and while San Francisco have money to spend, it appears no one around the league believe they're in genuine contention.

With their form in recent weeks, things could definitely change over the remainder of the 2023 season, as the young core the Giants are assembling could be a force to be reckoned with going forward, but at this point, their reputation around the league isn't in the highest standing.

Ohtani will be in exceptional demand and for good reason. No one can do what he can do on the baseball field. Regardless of cost, he makes any team better on both sides of the game. If the Giants plan to get involved, they will need to make a significant investment in Ohtani.

Can they do it? Based on player opinion, the answer is no but that may not hold a ton of weight. Anything can happen once a player reaches free agency. And, the Giants are one of the biggest markets in baseball, so there should be very little in the way of financial constraints. That story will easily be the biggest of the offseason.