The San Francisco Giants fired manager Gabe Kapler with one series left in the regular season, a move that shocked rival teams as Kapler is close with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Zaidi took a chance on Kapler after he was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was his handpicked candidate in San Francisco and after the 2021 season, in which the Giants won 107 games, the move looked like a resounding success. But the Giants regressed in each season since (81 wins in 2022; 79 wins in 2023) and the team made the decision to part ways.
Now, the Giants are tasked with replacing Kapler, and there are no easy answers. The team is looking for a player-friendly manager and also a candidate who will be a good recruiter in free agency. Without further ado, here are some options the team has - and will - consider.
Donnie Ecker, Texas Rangers
Donnie Ecker is currently the Texas Rangers' bench coach and offensive coordinator, and has previously coached with the Giants and Cincinnati Reds. So there is organizational familiarity here.
Ecker has been reported as a prominent candidate for the Giants' job, but I'm not so sure. I would not be surprised if he was granted an interview – the Giants are going to cast a wide net in their search – but I've heard varying things from league sources about how strong his candidacy is, which is why I'd be surprised if he was hired as their next manager.
In this search, Buster Posey is expected to have a prominent voice in addition to Zaidi and the Giants ownership group. He is believed to have a strong relationship with Ecker, so that is something that certainly bears watching.
Stephen Vogt, Seattle Mariners
Stephen Vogt grew up a San Francisco Giants fan and it would not be surprising in the slightest if he viewed managing the team as a dream job.
After all, Vogt is considered a future manager by almost everyone he has been around in baseball. He was constantly in Craig Counsell's ear in Milwaukee when he was the backup catcher and was able to pick his brain. He's done that in almost every stop he's been at since, and one of those just so happened to be in San Francisco.
Vogt will interview with the Giants, according to major-league sources, and his candidacy should not be discounted at all. He's someone that Zaidi likes. He has a relationship with Zaidi from his time with the Giants. Vogt, who is currently a coach with the Seattle Mariners, has other options as well.
But his candidacy with the Giants figures to be strong.
Internal options
The San Francisco Giants have interviewed three internal candidates, according to major-league sources, with those candidates being bench coach Kai Correa, third base coach Mark Hallberg and assistant coach Alyssa Hakken.
Hakken's candidacy was first reported by Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic.
Of the three internal candidates, it's believed that Hallberg has the best chance of getting the job. He has a strong relationship with Posey. He knows the Giants inside and out and has good relationships throughout the organization. If he is hired, it would not be surprising if the team turned to farm director Kyle Haines and hired him as bench coach.
It's just one of many scenarios that the Giants are considering. In all likelihood, the Giants will hire someone outside the organization to replace Kapler. But they intend to be thorough with their search, and that means talking to as many candidates as possible, whether that be inside or outside the organization.