It took just a few hours for the Giants to get a reminder of just how big a problem Mookie Betts is going to be for, oh, the next decade or so.
Betts, fresh off signing a 12-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers that guarantees him nearly $400 million, scored the go-ahead run in Thursday's opener with a perfect reaction and slick slide in the seventh inning. That's exactly what should be expected from the right fielder, who might go down as one of the best all-around players in MLB history.
You could understand if Farhan Zaidi, speaking on Zoom earlier in the day when the roster was announced, would cringe at the knowledge that he'll have to beat Betts for years to come. Behind closed doors, he probably does. But Zaidi also said he thinks the signing was "great for baseball."
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"I think the reaction you saw on social media and among national baseball media just demonstrates it's a good thing in terms of the health of the sport. It's a good thing for baseball to have a great player playing in a big market like that."
Zaidi, of course, hopes to duplicate this. He went hard after Bryce Harper a year ago and the Giants figured to be one of the top options if Betts did reach free agency. Zaidi helped build the model in Los Angeles: Draft well, develop better, get those young stars to the big leagues and supplement them with established talent. His former boss, Andrew Friedman, chased that final piece for years and finally got Betts.
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One day, Zaidi will be in that position. For now, the Giants are still building, and they got a reminder Thursday of just how fast the lead car is.
"I think there's a reason a lot of pundits are choosing them to win the division and get to the World Series this year," Zaidi said of the Dodgers.