The Giants have decided they need a new voice in the clubhouse going forward.
The organization fired Gabe Kapler on Friday, ending his four-year tenure on a sour note. Kapler, 48, had one year remaining on his contract — one that was extended during his 2021 National League Manager of the Year campaign.
This is the first time the Giants organization has fired a manager since Jim Davenport in 1985.
“After making this recommendation to ownership and receiving their approval, I met with Gabe today to inform him of our decision,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in a statement. “In his tenure as Giants manager, Gabe led our team through an unprecedented pandemic in 2020 and a franchise-record 107 wins and postseason berth in 2021. He has been dedicated and passionate in his efforts to improve the on-field performance of the San Francisco Giants and I have tremendous respect for him as a colleague and friend.”
Under Kapler, the Giants went 295-248, a record that Zaidi has noted as one of the highest winning percentages for a manager in franchise history. Zaidi and Kapler have worked in harmony, with the pair viewed by many as leaders in lockstep, which suggests that the decision to dismiss Kapler wasn’t entirely Zaidi’s.
Giants chairman Greg Johnson has repeatedly committed to both Kapler and Zaidi for 2024 to multiple outlets. But after his most recent comments in which he said “they will both be here next year” the club went 3-10 and fell out of the wild card race.
During the September collapse, varying corners of the clubhouse showed signs of fissures.
One player told The San Francisco Chronicle that “You can’t lose a clubhouse if you didn’t already have it,” then added, “no, that sounds too strong. But you know what I mean: He pretty much lets us alone.”
Logan Webb, the only foundational player signed long-term, said the team needs to make “big changes” to create a winning culture.
“I think when (Webb) says ‘big changes,’ that can come in a lot of forms,” Zaidi said on KNBR on Sept. 28. “We need to rethink how we’re thinking about players, how we’re putting together the roster. Our players need to think about the culture they’re fostering, our manager and coaching staff needs to think about the culture we have in our clubhouse. I think we need to rethink everything, so I’m glad he said that.”
Kapler’s time with the Giants was tumultuous from the beginning. At his introductory press conference, Kapler reflected on why he wasn’t “a popular hire” and got questioned about his role in the Dodgers’ minor league sexual assault allegations.
In the Giants’ first game with Kapler in the dugout, the manager pulled starter Johnny Cueto early and gave starter Drew Smyly an inning as part of a six-pitcher scheme. It didn’t work and foreshadowed what critics considered overthinking.
But that same type of aggressive managing was golden in 2021, when the Giants broke the MLB pinch hit record en route to a franchise-best 107 wins.
Then the Giants, coming off that National League Division Series loss, floundered to a disappointing 81-81 season that included a strong September when they were already out of the postseason race to even reach .500. After retooling, 2023 was just as disappointing.
The Giants vowed to get more athletic and improve defensively, but ranked last in stolen bases and first in errors. They anticipated having power up and down the lineup, but lacked in the home run category and went on a months long offensive slump.
Kapler took responsibility for the 2023 season, saying he didn’t get the best out of his players. How much a manager specifically can actually extract maximum performance out of players, though, is unquantifiable.
All the while, Kapler was the same guy. He always preferred 1-on-1 conversations to rah-rah speeches or team meetings. He leaned toward letting the players in the clubhouse police themselves. By all accounts, he acted in lockstep with Zaidi. He stayed true to the numbers, seeking platoon advantages on both sides of the ball — often by necessity due to flawed players. He invested resources into mental health initiatives and supported the hiring of a full-time breathing and wellness coach. Kapler projected a calm, even presence regardless of how the team played, which he viewed as a requirement to navigating a 162-game season.
Kapler had the near-impossible job of succeeding Bruce Bochy, the beloved figure who helped lead the Giants to three World Series titles.
Some detractors vilified Kapler’s decision to not stand for the national anthem in protest supporting gun reform. Some fan distaste emanated from the perception that the manager has a robotic personality, or how the way he manages games isn’t always the most aesthetically appealing.
Now, whoever the Giants choose to install as their next manager will also work under Zaidi — at least through 2024. Potential internal candidates to fill Kapler’s position include Mark Hallberg, Kai Correa or advisor Ron Wotus. The Giants could also look outside the organization to coaches with ties to the Bay Area, Zaidi or the Giants such as Bob Melvin, Donnie Ecker or Dusty Baker.
“On behalf of the Giants organization, we wish Gabe the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last four years,” Zaidi said in a statement.