The San Francisco Giants lost a game, and it didn't have to feel devastating. Last year, and for much of the early part of this season, every Giants loss felt like a significant setback. The SF Giants needed to win just about every game or else fall further behind in the standings, or further away from even the .500 mark. Now, entering last night's game 11 games over .500, the Giants have put themselves in a strong position. Logan Webb struggled in the first inning and the Giants fell to the Blue Jays, but they'll look to win the series behind surprise starter Keaton Winn tonight.
Switching gears to some mailbag questions, which does the Giants' front office believe is the real version of the team: the one from the first 40 games or the one from the most recent 40 games? The boring and cliché answer is that they most likely view them as the combination of the two. Obviously, however, injuries can play a role. The San Francisco Giants have certainly had their share of injuries this year, and that can change the equation. So can the arrival of young players such as Patrick Bailey, Luis Matos, and Casey Schmitt. Not to mention pitchers like Winn, who has a chance to stick in the Giants' rotation given the quality of his stuff.
Another mailbag question: does the Giants having a good year make it more likely that they are able to sign Shohei Ohtani in the offseason? That certainly appears to be the case, as Ohtani has expressed that winning is his main concern. The Angels have not made the playoffs since Ohtani joined the team. Indeed, if the Giants can have a good season, make the playoffs, and have some playoff success, that would likely have a meaningful influence on their odds of signing the superstar, assuming that's something they want to do. It's hard to imagine that the SF Giants won't be all-in on the greatest player in the game.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick
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