Despite what prized free agent Gerrit Cole claimed after the Houston Astros lost Game 7 of the World Series last week, there certainly do appear to be favorites heading into the signing period, which begins Monday at 5 p.m.

Southern California has been home for Cole’s entire life, so playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers and LA Angels probably is intriguing.

The San Francisco Giants have a trump card in this sweepstakes, too. Cole’s wife Amy is a Bay Area native and her older brother is Brandon Crawford, the Giants’ star shortstop.

Could Cole be swayed by his wife and/or in-laws to sign with the Giants if they make a contract offer this winter that is comparable to others?

“I’m thinking, ‘OK Craw, here’s the sales pitch of the year,'” Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow said in a podcast hosted by The Athletic columnist Tim Kawakami. “‘You gotta convince him that it’s just the place to be.'”

There have been rumors that Cole prefers to sign with the Dodgers or Angels because he wants to play close to home. That led to Astros outfielder Josh Reddick predicting in October that free agency would lead to a West Coast team signing Cole, who transformed from star to superstar in 2019 while going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA in the regular season and then 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA over five postseason starts.

The day after the Astros lost the World Series, Cole shot the West Coast rumors down last Thursday by telling the Houston Chronicle, “No, I never said that.”

That may be true, but Cole’s wife and in-laws potentially could influence his big offseason decision, which also could include mega-bucks offers from the Yankees and Phillies, among others.

Cole’s first day as a college freshman at UCLA became life changing when he decided to get in a 6 a.m. workout at a campus weight room. That’s when he first met the younger sister of one of his new college teammates, UCLA softball player Amy Crawford.

Smitten right away, Cole asked for a date and was rejected.

“I remember thinking she was the prettiest girl I had ever met and I wanted to get to know her,” Cole told Inside Weddings in 2016.

Cole kept trying over the next year and keep being shunned until he drove 90 minutes from his home in Newport Beach to help Amy move into a new apartment.

“My mom was there with me and he showed up with a bouquet of flowers for her birthday,” Amy told Inside Weddings. “That’s the day I decided to take him up on that first-date offer from the year prior.”

That led to a first date and then a lasting relationship, and that led to a November 2016 wedding that also made Cole a brother-in-law to Brandon Crawford.

Cole and Crawford haven’t played together since college with one exception: Both were National League All-Stars in 2015.

There may be a family reunion in 2020 if the big-market Giants opt to go all in on Cole, who could land a $200-million deal that would be a record for a pitcher.

Krukow certainly is rooting for the Giants.

“Oh, hell yes, who doesn’t want Gerrit Cole?” he said.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.