def METHOD_NAME(string, default_sign=1):
    """
    Try to parse `string` as Timestamp or Timedelta
    If `string` is parsed as Timedelta and the string does not indicate whether
    the Timedelta should be positive (in the future) or negative (in the past),
    multiply it by `default_sign`, which should be either 1 (default) or -1.
    """
    try:
        return Timestamp.from_string(string)
    except ValueError:
        delta = Timedelta.from_string(string)
        # Apply default_sign if no sign was given explicitly
        string = string.strip()
        if (not string.startswith('in') and
            not string.endswith('ago') and
            string[0] not in ('+', '-')):
            delta = delta.inverse if default_sign < 0 else delta
        return delta