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How ‘adamant’ Giants grabbed Zach Green before other teams could

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Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


Farhan Zaidi wanted a third baseman with untapped talent.

What did Zach Green want?

“I was hoping for a team that liked me.”

The rookie call-up, whose smash debut Sunday included two hits and an RBI, is from Sacramento, where the Giants’ Triple-A team plays. He also grew up a Giants fan, which didn’t hurt. But his first order of business, after making himself a minor league free agent following six years with the Phillies, was a team where he could be featured at Triple-A, and he found one fairly instantly.

“It was pretty early in the offseason. Right after the World Series, within 10 days,” Green told KNBR before Monday’s series opener with the Cubs at Oracle Park. “So, I’m sure there were other teams that may have been interested. But being a minor league free agent — you’re not first up on the checklist. But the Giants were pretty adamant about having me.”

Green, a third-round pick in 2012 by Philadelphia, dealt with injury after injury that kept him mired in the minors. With surgeries to his hip and wrist, along with Tommy John, he said he didn’t truly feel healthy until last season, which he spent with the Phillies’ Double-A Reading. Philadelphia never called him up, though, and Zaidi noticed.


Evan Longoria, on the injured list with plantar fasciitis since July 15, has started baseball activities. He no longer had a walking boot Monday when he took ground balls in the field. Bruce Bochy said, though, they have no target date for his return.

“But he is feeling better, so maybe I’ll have more [Tuesday] after he comes out of this,” said Bochy, who added Longoria has started to swing.


Bochy said he would like to stay away from Will Smith on Monday, after the closer had pitched five times in seven games.