The Giants will work any angle they’ll to land two-way famous person Shohei Ohtani in free company.

Perhaps new supervisor Bob Melvin’s intensive historical past teaching gamers from the Pacific Rim might lend a useful hand in recruiting the Japanese famous person. Or perhaps beginning pitcher Alex Cobb, who performed with Ohtani in 2021 and commenced his recruiting pitch to his former teammate over the summer time on the All-Star Game might show helpful.

Or, maybe, the Giants have another person throughout the group who has ties to Ohtani or somebody in his camp.

The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Andrew Baggarly and Fabian Ardaya launched a feature story on Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo, who coincidentally has ties to present members of the Giants group.

Drafted by the Seattle Mariners within the fourth spherical of the 1985 MLB Draft, Balelo was teammates with present Giants Triple-A coach Dave Brundage and present major-league pitching coach Bryan Price on the Vermont Mariners in 1988.

According to The Athletic, Balelo and Price, who recently was named to Melvin’s staff, have maintained a detailed private {and professional} relationship over time, which could possibly be necessary for the Giants. Or not.

With San Francisco vying for Ohtani’s services this winter after the two-way star underwent Tommy John surgical procedure on Sept. 19, Price, a good friend of Balelo, would work carefully with Ohtani ought to he signal with San Francisco and work his approach again to the mound in 2025.

Even although Ohtani shall be restricted to only hitting in 2024, his potential relationship with Price would play an enormous function in extending his profession as a pitcher.

It goes with out saying the choice in the end is as much as Ohtani, not Balelo, however it definitely could not damage the Giants to have a pitching coach like Price, who’s effectively revered all through the league and presumably trusted by the famous person’s longtime agent.

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