A multitude of names have been thrown into the ring as candidates for being the next Giants manager, but one option generating a lot of conversation is former Phillies skipper Gabe Kapler.
Kapler was fired by Philadelphia after just two seasons, finishing his first tenure as an MLB manager with a .497 winning percentage.
The 44-year-old has been named a finalist for the position, league sources told NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic, and Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow spoke glowingly about the potential of Kapler replacing Bruce Bochy.
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“I think he’s exactly like [Dodgers manager Dave] Roberts in his people skills,” Krukow told The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show” podcast. “I think that’s one of his big strengths.”
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has a prior relationship with Kapler, having hired him as the Los Angeles Dodgers Director of Player Development in 2014, a position Kapler held until taking over as Phillies manager.
“I think everybody that’s been brought in for an interview falls under the same pen,” Krukow said. “They’re all good with people, they’re all guys that have no problem letting the player take the limelight. And I think that’s the one characteristic we’re gonna see come out of this.
“I would have no problem with Kapler because of those skills. He is aware of the tradition of the Giants, and I think that is an absolutely essential thing, if you take that helm, you have to know what has come before you, you have to know what the expectations are.”
San Francisco Giants
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Whoever Zaidi brings in will have some big shoes to fill, as Bochy brought three World Series titles to San Francisco during his 13-year tenure.