LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Giants executives cast no illusions after Giancarlo Stanton rebuffed their efforts to acquire him last week.



They immediately shifted their attention to Marcell Ozuna, the next power-hitting outfielder that the Miami Marlins were poised to deal. They knew that Marlins officials already had vetted every level of their farm system.



And they knew that their past discussions would yield no advantage.



Sure enough, hours after the Marlins shipped Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday for a prospect package headed by hard-throwing pitcher Sandy Alcantara, Giants general manager Bobby Evans acknowledged that his farm system lacked the top-level pieces to complete a deal for the difference-making outfielder.



That candid admission in Evans’ suite at the winter meetings spooled into a sobering discussion about the Giants’ player development system, which as it turns out, is getting more than just a new farm...