San Francisco Giants: Uncertainty lies ahead with Gabe Kapler and Farhan Zaidi
By Andrew Bet
The unorthodox hiring of Gabe Kapler as the next manager of the San Francisco Giants ushers a new regime in which management is allowing the president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, complete control of building the roster.
Awkward is simple enough to understand the press conference to officially announce Gabe Kapler as the new skipper for the San Francisco Giants. Instead of fanfare to welcome a new manager, the choice in Kapler is one move drawing negativity from Giants’ supporters.
Perhaps the table the two shared along with the new general manager, Scott Harris, could have been a little smaller to signify all is well amongst the touchy-feely trio ushering in a new era for Giants baseball.
The purpose of a small table was probably to show unity amongst the three knowing the media was not interested in how the lineup card will develop for each game.
Zaidi and Kapler both worked together in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization. The two came under scrutiny in the handling of the alleged sexual assault incidents.
Both Zaidi and Kapler did not shy away from owning up to not handling the situation correctly but did not give assurance in responses of how to handle the situation should another incident arise.
All along, Zaidi zeroed in on his choice of Kapler. The past did not matter. In a so-called exhaustive search, Zaidi got his man in Kapler after the Philadelphia Phillies chose to part ways with him after two seasons.
Joe Espada and Matt Quatraro of the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively, were the other finalists to replace Bruce Bochy.
Espada appeared to be the front runner, but a deal never came to fruition after Kapler got chosen for the job. With the MLB investigation into the Astros, Espada likely fell out of favor.
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Quatraro may have worked well given he was the bench coach for a Rays’ team with the lowest payroll but managed to make the ALDS this past season. A better suitor than choosing the unpopular Kapler.
Bochy will manage again in a few years. He will take over a team with a front office, not using baseball analytics. The brain trust of Bochy and utilizing his lineup won the Giants three championships, unlike Zaidi in Los Angeles coming in second place.
Kapler’s hiring is not thrilling many of the front office executives for the Giants but shows Larry Baer is giving Zaidi complete control in revamping the team back into contenders.
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No matter if the Giants win games, Kapler winning over people is going to be a tall order he may not even be able to accomplish.
One major obstacle facing Kapler is getting his players to buy in and get production. In a team featuring Bryce Harper, the Phillies did not perform at a high level, often playing uninspiring baseball. Kapler did a poor job in Philadelphia, failing miserably to stay consistent.
The time is now for Zaidi to completely overhaul the current roster of the Giants. The current aging core of players is well past their primes with little left in the tank.
Buster Posey can no longer carry the load of being a full-time catcher and should move to first base. Perhaps an appearance of a top prospect, Joey Bart, will make his debut in 2020.
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Brandon Crawford should get released or be dealt for prospects. His defense became suspect last season and his offensive production sharply declined.
Add Brandon Belt to mix of being traded so he can flourish with a new team then suffer at the confines of Oracle Park. The bullpens are moving to the outfield, but do not expect the dimensions to change for Triples Alley.
Overall, Zaidi does not care about the adverse reaction and is marching to his beat running the show. Like the retail partnership with Fanatics, Zaidi, and higher executives claim to be there and understanding but ultimately choose to do nothing.
Popularity is perhaps at an all-time low with the uncertainty that lies ahead for the San Francisco Giants.
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Low attendance is going to happen unless some drastic moves in free agency help stir the excitement before fanfest arrives before the start of Spring Training.