Giants fired manager Gabe Kapler after four seasons: What caused his release, and who could replace him?
The Giants did not wait until the bitter end of a poor season to make significant changes, announcing on Friday that manager Gabe Kapler has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.
In a news release, Giants president Farhan Zaidi stated that he advocated the managerial change to ownership and gained their consent to terminate Kapler, who had been the nearly unanimous pick as National League Manager of the Year in 2021 after leading the Giants to a franchise-record 107 wins. Kapler still had a year left on the three-year deal he signed following that record-breaking season.
However, someone had to answer for the Giants’ second-half collapse, which included an 8-16 record in September, knocking them out of a wild-card place that appeared practically assured at the start of August. The fall exceeded either of the Phillies’ two poor September finishes in 2018-19, which eventually lost Kapler his job. He was sacked for the second time with one year remaining on his contract.
It’s the first time a Giants manager has been relieved of his duties while still under contract since 1985, when Roger Craig took over for Jim Davenport with 18 games left. The Giants’ dugout consistency — from Craig to Dusty Baker to Felipe Alou to Bruce Bochy — has been an amazing feature, as they have avoided much of the turmoil that typically surrounds the managerial position.
But respected players such as Logan Webb and Mike Yastrzemski continued to lament the lack of clubhouse accountability, which Kapler may have been ill-equipped to address given his hands-off managerial approach. When the team had a series of meetings at the end of August, Kapler did not address the group.
As Webb stated on Monday, “We’ve got to make some major adjustments in here to build that winning culture. We aim to participate annually and win the entire event. I’m just tired of losing, to be honest.”
When Kapler was sacked in Philadelphia, owner John Middleton made the decision without consulting then-GM Matt Klentak. Kapler was unemployed for just a month. Zaidi spent a significant amount of personal money to bring on Kapler, who was not a popular choice to succeed Bochy after the 2019 season. The two previously worked together as general manager and farm director for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“After making this recommendation to ownership and receiving their approval, I met with Gabe today to inform him of our decision,” Zaidi said in a statement. “During his time as Giants manager, Gabe guided our team through an unprecedented pandemic in 2020 and a franchise-record 107 victories and postseason berth in 2021. He has worked tirelessly and passionately to improve the San Francisco Giants’ on-field performance, and I hold high regard for him as a colleague and friend. On behalf of the Giants organization, we wish Gabe the best of luck in his future efforts and appreciate his services over the past four years.”
The Giants did not immediately announce their interim manager. Mark Hallberg, third base coach, and Kai Correa, bench coach, appear to be the primary possibilities. As for a permanent replacement, it is unclear whether ownership will extend Zaidi’s term, which expires at the end of 2024. Padres manager Bob Melvin is considered to be a strong candidate if he is dismissed of his duties in San Diego.
