Rowdy Tellez believes SF's reputation is hurting the Giants' chances of landing stars like Shohei Ohtani: "It's hardly safe"

Times have been tough for the San Francisco Giants who continually struggle to secure top-tier free agents. After a now-infamous 2022 offseason which saw the club strikeout when attempting to sign both Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, the Giants planned on aggressively pursuing some of the top free agents this offseason as well.

Yet, even though the San Francisco Giants made their intention of signing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani known, they missed out yet again as the Los Angeles Dodgers swooped in. While fans have questioned the competency of the front office, there may be another reason why they are struggling to land high-end talent.

"San Francisco’s struggles with rising crime, rampant drug use, and sprawling homeless camps are now being blamed for deterring a big name from relocating to the Golden Gate City: Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. @NRO" - @RyanAMills77

According to new Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Rowdy Tellez, it could be the city itself causing some players to look elsewhere. The 28-year-old believes that the increase in crime and lack of cleanliness around the Californian city has made it less desirable for free agents, especially considering some of the destinations they could choose.

"The last 10-12 years, man, it's just been a bad city. It's not nice anymore. It's not clean. It's hardly safe." Bay area native Rowdy Tellez of the @Pirates offers his thoughts San Francisco's difficulty recruiting stars" - @FoulTerritoryTV

"It's hardly safe," Tellez said on a recent episode of Foul Territory. The Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman explained that he grew up in the area and used to attend San Francisco games, but now the city has fallen on hard times, making it both dirty and no longer safe.

The San Francisco Giants were able to land one of the top international free agents

Although it is clear that the Giants have struggled to lure some of the biggest names on the free agent market, they were able to secure the signature of one of the most coveted international stars.

Earlier this week, San Francisco reached an agreement with South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. The two parties came to terms on a six-year, $113 million contract. The 25-year-old outfielder could be a major signing for the club if his bat can translate from the KBO to the MLB.