When Farhan Zaidi addressed Kris Bryant's upcoming free agency following the Giants' season, he didn't exactly stand on the table and beg for Bryant to sign with San Francisco. Instead, he had an extremely truthful response.
"I'm sure we'll have conversations there, but he's going to have a long line of suitors, so we'll just have to see how that develops," Zaidi, the Giants' president of baseball operations, said.
That raised a lot of eyebrows, but it shouldn't. Bryant is a Scott Boras client and will take his time to find the best deal possible. On Thursday, Zaidi further explained how he sees Bryant and Boras treating the offseason.
"I don't expect anything to happen quickly," Zaidi said on KNBR. "Obviously we have a lot of interest in bringing him back, but we'll have to respect how that process plays out and continue to be in touch with Scott Boras on Kris and a number of his other clients that are headed for free agency."
The Giants acquired Bryant at the MLB trade deadline from the Chicago Cubs for prospect Caleb Kilian and Alexander Canario. In 51 regular-season games, Bryant hit .262 with seven home runs and a .788 OPS. But in the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he couldn't have been much better.
Bryant hit .471 with one home run and had a 1.147 OPS.
While a September slump hurt him at the plate, Bryant's ability to play multiple positions was a major key for manager Gabe Kapler. He played third base and all three outfield positions for the Giants. In the NLDS, Bryant played first base for the Giants for the first time in Game 3 and also spent time in left, center and right field.
In the end, his versatility could wind up being both a good and bad thing for the Giants.
"There's a lot of teams that would love to have him and part of what made him such a great fit for us is his versatility, which only broadened his market," Zaidi said. "It's not like he's only gonna be a target for teams looking for a third baseman or a first baseman or a corner outfielder."
RELATED: Is Bryant still a target for Giants as he hits free agency?
Zaidi believes Bryant enjoyed San Francisco, his teammates and his coaches. He made a big impact when it mattered most. The question now is, will Bryant return to the Bay for the long haul?
"The fit is there but he's earned the right to go through the process," Zaidi said of Bryant's upcoming decision in free agency.
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Farhan Zaidi expects Kris Bryant to slow-play MLB free agency - NBC Sports Bay Area
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