SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants may not be a powerhouse on the field right now, but there’s no doubt that they continue to be one of the franchises that shapes offseasons.
For months, league executives have talked about the Yankees, Dodgers and Giants dipping under the tax line so that they could increase spending in years to come, and Larry Baer and Co. have a strong recent history of ending up in rooms with the big names.
A year before Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija signed massive deals, the Giants got to the final stages with Jon Lester.