Ohtani’s agent has close, personal connection to Giants organization
originally appeared on
NBC Sports Bay Area
The Giants are exploring various angles to acquire two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani during free agency.
They are considering leveraging new manager Bob Melvin’s extensive history coaching players from the Pacific Rim or possibly utilizing starting pitcher Alex Cobb’s previous connection to Ohtani.
Moreover, the Giants may have someone within the organization with ties to Ohtani or someone in his camp.
The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Andrew Baggarly, and Fabian Ardaya released a
feature story on Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo
, who coincidentally has connections to current members of the Giants organization.
Balelo was teammates with current Giants Triple-A coach Dave Brundage and major-league pitching coach Bryan Price in 1988, which could be an essential factor for the Giants as they pursue Ohtani.
If Ohtani signs with San Francisco, Price, a friend of Balelo, would work closely with Ohtani to help him return to the mound in 2025 following Tommy John surgery. This potential relationship is crucial as Ohtani will be limited to hitting in 2024.
Ultimately, the decision is up to Ohtani, but having a well-respected pitching coach like Price could work in the Giants’ favor as they seek to secure Ohtani’s services.
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast
This embedded content is not available in your region.
