Perception of San Francisco's Crime and Drug Issues Impacting Giants' Recruitment, Says Buster Posey

Despite offering a nearly identical contract, the Giants lost out on Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers, possibly due to concerns about the city's state from Ohtani's camp.

• Buster Posey, retired San Francisco Giants player and part of the franchise's ownership group, suggests that the perception of San Francisco's issues with crime and drugs may be impacting the team's ability to attract top free agents.
• Posey indicated that these concerns may have influenced Shohei Ohtani's decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead of the Giants, despite the Giants offering a nearly identical contract.
• Although Ohtani himself did not raise these issues, Posey said there was 'some reservation with the state of the city right now' from people in Ohtani's camp.
• Posey's comments echo those of Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who previously acknowledged issues with how players perceive the city.
• Despite these challenges, the Giants recently signed Korean star Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract.

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