SAN FRANCISCO — In the midst of their worst losing streak in nearly 70 years, the Giants have made the first of what is expected to be a flood of changes.
Strength and conditioning coach Carl Kochan was let go Thursday, NBC Sports Bay Area has learned. Kochan was in his seventh season in charge of strength and conditioning at the Major League level and had come up through the organization’s minor-league system. He worked with players like Brandon Crawford and Madison Bumgarner shortly after they got drafted.
Kochan was a popular member of the staff and often was mentioned by players after games, but the Giants expect to clean house a bit over the next couple of months.
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“This is what happens when you’re having a season like this,” said one person briefed on Kochan’s firing.
Kochan’s firing came as a shock to several players Friday, and some did not know as they took the field for batting practice. Kochan normally would be out on the field early, leading pitchers in conditioning drills before doing the same with the position players.
The move was a surprise because of the timing, but for several days team officials have talked about how nobody is safe when the team is playing this poorly. More changes are coming, per one source, although it’s unclear how much more the Giants may do before the season ends. The Giants have made multiple changes to Bruce Bochy's coaching staff over the past two offseasons, and one source said people at all levels of the organization are being evaluated right now.
Multiple players expressed disappointment Friday that Kochan was let go with 15 games remaining, pointing out that he has nothing to do with the issues on the field. The Giants have lost 11 straight in large part because the lineup is hitting .193 in September and averaging 2.4 runs per game.
