- Programming note: Watch the full conversation between Carlos Ramírez and Thairo Estrada on NBC Sports Bay Area's "Giants Postgame Live" following the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Thairo Estrada took a unique journey to become one of the Giants' best and most reliable players.
The Venezuela native signed with the New York Yankees as an international free agent in 2012. He never was considered to be a top-tier prospect over seven minor league seasons. When Estrada made his major league debut in 2019, Fangraphs listed him as the Yankees' No. 26-ranked prospect. MLB Pipeline had him 19th.
Four years later, Estrada has worked his way up from organization depth to the Giants' utility man to an everyday player in manager Gabe Kapler's lineup, and one that looks to be a featured commodity in the middle infield for years to come.
His likeness now is featured on a Giants billboard in San Francisco.
"I have breakfast in the same restaurant every morning," Estrada said in a recent conversation (translated to English) with NBC Sports Bay Area's Carlos Ramírez. "I haven’t seen that billboard yet, but the restaurant owner told me that he was walking with his kids and saw the billboard, and told his kids that he has a picture with me, and I asked where it was.
"It’s an honor, makes me feel proud, makes my family proud. I’ve worked a lot and it may seem like a small thing, but it’s a dream come true for me, being from another country like Venezuela, to be in a billboard in a city like San Francisco, in a foreign country. ... I see it as a product of the work I’ve put in and the love from the fans."
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The Giants acquired Estrada for cash considerations in a trade with the Yankees in April 2021. He immediately was added to their 40-man roster and made his debut in orange and black in June.
Estrada, after batting .214/.267/.348 over 61 games with the Yankees, showed some spark at the plate in 2021. In 52 contests that year, Estrada logged a career-high .813 OPS with four doubles, seven homers and 22 RBI.
That audition earned him a full-time role in 2022, as he finished third on the Giants in games played (140) and batted .260/.322/.400 with 14 homers and 21 stolen bases. This season, Estrada is showing even more evidence he can be the Giants' long-term answer in the middle infield.
It's fair to say both the Giants' front office and marketing team are big believers in Estrada.
RELATED: Giants' Schmitt tops MLB leaderboard with cannon arm
"What can I say?" Estrada told Ramírez. "It feels good, especially after all that I’ve been through in my career. After I was signed perhaps things were not easy, playing with a team full of prospects (Yankees), then making it to the big leagues with them, and then getting traded and for another team to give you a chance. ... Wow.
"I get here not knowing how much I’m going to play. The following season I was out of minor league options, and they gave me a chance to stay on the team. I was able to make the most of it and do my job. And now, this year is another opportunity for me, a dream come true.
"It's what every player wants. Every kid that starts with a dream. Those are the things that I’ll cherish forever. I don’t think about the money, I focus on results. If you have positive results, money will come."
Estrada made it. He belongs in The Show. All that's left to do now is check out that billboard.