Giants fire manager Gabe Kapler two years after 107-win season. Could Bob Melvin replace him?

Just a few weeks after the San Francisco Giants gave manager Gabe Kapler a vote of confidence, insisting he would return in 2024, they changed their mind Friday and fired Kapler. 

The immediate speculation is that Kapler could be replaced by San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin if he’s also let go after their disappointing season. 

Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, said in a statement that he was the one who recommended that Kapler be fired, which was approved by ownership. It was Giants chairman Greg Johnson who told the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month that Kapler and Zaidi would each be back in 2024 in the final year of their contract. So much for that declaration. 

The Giants, who won 107 games just two years ago, have since had back-to-back losing seasons, including a 78-81 record this year, 20 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers entering the final weekend.

Kapler, a polarizing figure in the Giants’ clubhouse with their relentless platoons and use of their starting rotation, relying heavily on their bullpen, becomes the fall guy for a season gone wrong. Several players, including pitchers Ross Stripling and Alex Wood, publicly complained about their roles. 

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The Giants were not only sloppy defensively this season, but almost abandoned the running game. They have stolen only 57 bases all season, the fewest in the major leagues. The Colorado Rockies had the second-fewest in baseball with 69 stolen bases. 

This is the first time the organization has relieved a manager of duties since they replaced Jim Davenport with Roger Craig with 18 games remaining in the 1985 season.

Now, the Giants will be looking for their first manager since Bruce Bochy stepped away after the 2019 season, perhaps leading to Melvin. 

The worst-kept secret in baseball is the strained relationship between him and Padres GM A.J. Preller, and if Melvin wants out, the Padres likely will let him leave with one year and $4 million remaining on his contract. 

The managerial path from San Diego to San Francisco actually has been traveled before. 

It was back in 2006 when Bruce Bochy left the Padres after the season, and was immediately hired by the Giants, leading the franchise to three World Series championships. 

Now, history could repeat itself with Melvin. 

Melvin, 61, and Zaidi worked together with the Oakland A’s, with Melvin managing the A’s for 11 years, winning two AL Manager of the Year awards.  

Melvin is scheduled to meet with Preller and the Padres ownership immediately after the season to determine his future. Yet, if it were left entirely to Melvin, he surely would welcome a move back to the Bay Area where he grew up and is beloved in the community. 

The Giants believed Friday they had no choice but to make a change. 

Now, they may have no choice but to make sure that change includes Melvin as the natural successor. 

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