LOS ANGELES–When an outfielder with dreams of pitching in the major leagues suddenly became a free agent last offseason, the Giants devised an elaborate proposal and sent a delegation including front office executives, manager Bruce Bochy and star catcher Buster Posey to execute the sales job.
The Giants failed in their bid to secure the signature of two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, but they did strike a deal with a former outfielder who has soared to far greater heights on the mound than Ohtani in his rookie season.
Their recruitment of Dereck Rodríguez, though, played out more like a student asking a crush to a high school dance.