[DC 86]

Carlos Rodon was a top dollar FA (his AAV is the same as Gausman’s).  SF signed him.  As for Suzuki, where is your irrefutable proof that he would have signed with SF had the Giants offered more than anyone else?   Free agents make their decisions based on many factors.  Finances are only one piece of the puzzle.

There are many factors, but finances are almost always the determining factor. Every top free agent this offseason signed for the highest reported offer: Seager, Bryant, Semien, Freeman, Story, Baez, Scherzer, Ray, Gausman, Correa, Castellanos, Schwarber, Marte ... No "hometown discounts" or other factors apparently in play for any of those guys.

SF offered Rodon the most money and he signed with SF. Good aggressive move by Zaidi to essentially offer a second year player option which other clubs were wary about. That closed the deal.

Chicago offered Suzuki the most money and he signed with Chicago. We are supposed to believe that he's the one exception and that it's a mere coincidence that he signed with the team that made the biggest offer and that if the Giants had proposed $85 million or more that it would have been futile. Of course there's no irrefutable proof either way, but the bottom line is that similar to other free agents he signed with the club that offered the biggest contract, and it wasn't the Giants.

[DC 86]

Carlos Rodon was a top dollar FA (his AAV is the same as Gausman’s).  SF signed him.  As for Suzuki, where is your irrefutable proof that he would have signed with SF had the Giants offered more than anyone else?   Free agents make their decisions based on many factors.  Finances are only one piece of the puzzle.

There are many factors, but finances are almost always the determining factor. Every top free agent this offseason signed for the highest reported offer: Seager, Bryant, Semien, Freeman, Story, Baez, Scherzer, Ray, Gausman, Correa, Castellanos, Schwarber, Marte ... No "hometown discounts" or other factors apparently in play for any of those guys.

SF offered Rodon the most money and he signed with SF. Good aggressive move by Zaidi to essentially offer a second year player option which other clubs were wary about. That closed the deal.

Chicago offered Suzuki the most money and he signed with Chicago. We are supposed to believe that he's the one exception and that it's a mere coincidence that he signed with the team that made the biggest offer and that if the Giants had proposed $85 million or more that it would have been futile. Of course there's no irrefutable proof either way, but the bottom line is that similar to other free agents he signed with the club that offered the biggest contract, and it wasn't the Giants.