SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - If San Francisco Giants starter Jeff Samardzija believed in the hype more, and perhaps in himself less, he’d still be with the Chicago Cubs.
If he truly trusted what Cubs president Theo Epstein was selling, and ignored empty promises in the past, he’d be in the middle of this Cubs lovefest that has captured the imagination of their long-suffering fan base.
“If I had a fortune teller,’’ Samardzija told USA TODAY Sports, “I probably would have stayed. But you have no idea, man. I remember coming up, it was always the talk about prospects.
“It was the easy thing to do. You can always sell the future, and people always buy it. It’s a great way to rebuild, and I understand that.
“But as a veteran guy, it was becoming a joke.’’
And so, after churning through the Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox organizations in 18 months, Samardzija has found a permanent home. His five-year, $90 million contract with the San Francisco Giants ensures he’ll be in one place for a while.
Yet it’s instructive to remember how easy it would have been for Samardzija to stay with his original team.
Samardzija grew up 45 minutes away from Chicago in Valparaiso, Ind., went to nearby Notre Dame, set school single-season records as an All-America receiver, and was drafted in 2006.
Two years later, he was an integral part of the Cubs’ glorious future as they reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in a century.
The Cubs never again reached the postseason during Samardzija’s tenure, finishing in last place in his last five years in Chicago, hiring and firing four managers.
The Cubs tried to sell Samardzija on their future, offering him a five-year, $80 million contract extension in the summer of 2014. It was too late.
“I just got so sick of hearing about it,’’ Samardzija said. “They had to do what they had to do, but as a professional, you always want to be competing, not hearing some rhetoric every year.
“There are certain things you don’t forget.’’
So Samardzija rejected the Cubs’ advances, and was traded along with pitcher Jason Hammel to the Oakland A’s on July 5, 2014.
He is now the gift that keeps on giving to the Cubs. The Cubs received sensational shortstop Addison Russell and prized minor-league outfielder Billy McKinney. The Cubs also hit the lottery in the draft with Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber, dropped $339 million on pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jason Heyward and signed second baseman Ben Zobrist.
No sir, Samardzija didn’t see this coming.
“It was a risky plan, right, counting on the draft and Cuban guys and things like that,’’ Samardzija said. “They spent money to get guys. They hit on the guy Bryant who’s a difference maker. (Anthony) Rizzo came on. Now, they’re rolling.
“They will always be in my heart. I’ll take pride in what they do because I’m a Chicago guy. You always want to see your boys do well, until we play against them.’’
Samardzija politely listened when the Cubs offered Samardzija a short-term contract, but he had too many teams willing to pay big-time money, talking to everyone from the Detroit Tigers to the New York Yankees to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With the Giants, winners of three World Series titles in six years, he’s found the nirvana he sought.
“I really didn’t know it could feel this good,’’ said Samardzija, who plans to live in downtown San Francisco. “There’s such a love for the game here. It’s old school.
“I’ve never on a team where baseball is talked about this much consistently, or surrounded by a group of guys that love the game as much as they do. Just a bunch of gamers, talking ball. I can take a deep breath, not have to answer trade rumors anymore, worry where I’m going to live, or talk about rebuilding. This is where I belong.’’
Samardzija is tired of hearing about his struggles of a year ago with the White Sox, going 11-13 with a 4.09 ERA, giving up a league-high 228 hits, major-league leading 118 earned runs and 29 home runs. His performance caused some teams to back away, and certainly suppressed his market value.
“It was just a strange year,’’ said Samardzija, who rejected overtures by the White Sox last summer about a contract extension. “I got off to a rough start. I was chasing the whole time. Then you start pressing because it’s your free agent year.
“It was definitely a humbling experience. You have all of these big ideas in your head where you’re going to end up. You feel like you have your own value what you’re worth, and sometimes you have to put that aside based on the market.’’
The Giants watched every one of his starts, either in person or on videotape, and saw a bargain. What caught their attention the most was not his power sinker, but his mound presence, that fiery demeanor. The White Sox were going nowhere, and Samardzija was struggling, but he still made 32 starts and pitched 214 innings.
“We were all really impressed by his effort last year,’’ said Brian Sabean, Giants executive vice president of baseball operations. “I’m sure people would bail out of games if things weren’t going too well or not pitching well. Not him. He did the workload. He made the starts. And I think that’s highly important.
“He’s got a big personality too. I think he’ll be energized by the fans and our big crowds.’’
No longer is he a hired gun. He can even stop living out of his suitcase.
“This is a team everyone wants to be part of,’’ Samardzija said. “It’s like the Cardinals. They have that fighting mentality and they’re in every game.
“I can finally put all of the chips on my side of the table. Man, I am ready.’’
GALLERY: Opening-day starters