Shawon Dunston. Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants do not officially have affiliates yet, and yet those affiliates officially are staffed.
Such is the variable-filled baseball world on Feb. 8, a week before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. San Francisco announced Monday its player-development and affiliates staffs for 2021, while saying the staffs for the minor league teams are “pending the completion of the process.”
The Giants have invited Triple-A Sacramento, Double-A Richmond, High-A Eugene and Low-A San Jose to be their affiliates in the realigned minor league system, and they also announced the coaching staffs for two Arizona League squads and two Dominican League squads, all Rookie level.
The farm system again will be headed by Kyle Haines, who may have had the most challenging job in the organization during last season, when he helped determine who would be at the alternate site and tried to keep an eye on the hundreds of other prospects from afar. Among the promotions system-wide include new hitting coordinator Michael Brdar, who was in Sacramento last year and had been the assistant coordinator of minor league hitting. Justin Lehr will be back as pitching coordinator, right above assistant pitching coordinator Clay Rapada, who had been Low-A Augusta’s pitching coach.
A few fan favorites are sticking around. Pat Burrell, who was supposed to be San Jose’s hitting coach last year, is now a roving hitting coach. Eli Whiteside will be a roving catching instructor. While Dave Righetti and Shawon Dunston reportedly were among the 10 percent of layoffs in October, both will return as player-development spring training instructors. So, too will Gene Clines.
As for the teams themselves, Dave Brundage again will manage Sacramento after its 2019 minor league title. The River Cats’ pitching coach will be Garvin Alston, who had been a pitching coach with the Twins — the same organization from which the Giants plucked their new major league assistant pitching coach, J.P. Martinez. There are clear pipelines from both Minnesota and Cincinnati to San Francisco.
Steve Kline had been Sacramento’s pitching coach and now will be Richmond’s, which will be managed by Jose Alguacil. Dennis Pelfrey, who was supposed to manage San Jose last season, will take the reins for Eugene this season. Lenn Sakata, who was set to manage Salem-Keizer last year, will return this year to San Jose, where he managed in 1999, 2001 and 2004–2007.
There are two TBA strength and conditioning coaches, one in Sacramento and one in Arizona. So if you know anyone! Kellen Lee and Francisco Rodriguez will return as minor league mental skills coaches.
The Giants still have yet to announce their official major league staff.