SAN FRANCISCO -- Watching Game 7 of this year's World Series was painful for just about everybody in the Giants organization. But for a few front office employees who were heavily involved in courting Yoshinobu Yamamoto two years ago, there was an extra layer of discomfort.

For all of the attention that was paid to Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto was a more realistic addition. The Giants were crushed when they were told that they were out of the bidding, and then they watched as Yamamoto opted to join Ohtani in Los Angeles on a record $325 million deal. So far, the right-hander has been worth every penny.

Giants general manager Zack Minasian led the organization's pro scouting efforts at the time and made plenty of trips to Japan to see Yamamoto and others. At the GM Meetings last week, Minasi

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