SF Giants: Farhan Zaidi and Greg Johnson backtrack Gabe Kapler's job security
The SF Giants may have still been competing for a playoff spot, but last month, chairman Greg Johnson committed to manager Gabe Kapler and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi returning to the team next season. However, a lot has changed since then. The Giants were in the driver's seat for the final National League Wild Card but have since fallen completely out of the race. In danger of finishing below-.500, worse than they did last season, it seems like Kapler's future with the organization may actually be in jeopardy.
SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi talks to reporters. (2021)
Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
“I really appreciate the support from ownership and the plan to have both of us back,” Zaidi said during an appearance on "Tolbert & Copes" on KNBR on Thursday. “Right now, our focus is just kind of getting through these last three games strong, finishing at .500. I think we all have to just look at how we can improve across the board. That's the personnel on the roster. That's, you know, our culture in the clubhouse, which again, I think that's when you're playing well, certain things culturally are portrayed positively like, 'Hey, this group loves being together. They're having fun.' But when you're not doing well, those things can be seen in a negative light."
While the start of Zaidi's answer did not signal any change was imminent, as he continued, it seemed to raise a lot of questions about the manager.
"And I just think we have to look at everything," Zaidi continued. "There's a time and place for everything. One hundred sixty-two games is a grind. We want our players to be comfortable being able to wash off those tough losses. But when you’re in do-or-die games, like we were in Arizona, you want them to feel different. I think we’re really gonna have to ask ourselves if we were prepared to sort of elevate our level of focus in play for those games that really matter down the stretch.”
Zaidi could have been talking about a broader culture shift, something some people argued ace Logan Webb hinted at last week. However, the fact that he focused on saying the team did not feel the way he wanted when they were in Arizona suggests something a bit higher on the chain of command. Something like a failure from the managerial position.
Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reached out to Johnson on Friday, asking him about Zaidi's comments. Rather than taking the opportunity to say Zaidi was not making any broader hints, he simply told Slusser that he “stands by the comments Farhan made on KNBR.” It sure seems like the top executives with the SF Giants are signaling that Gabe Kapler's future with the organization is at least more uncertain than it was a month ago.
