Talk about a bombshell. The San Francisco Giants fired manager Gabe Kapler on Friday afternoon after four seasons in San Francisco. Kapler was an unpopular choice for Giants manager from the start, and he never won over a large segment of the fanbase. These weren't his failed rosters, but nonetheless Kapler always seemed to lack the communication skills necessary to face the media twice daily and seemed to be somewhat of an absent presence in a reeling SF Giants clubhouse.

Why does Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi get to keep his job? He's the one responsible for these rosters that have massively disappointed in two straight seasons, in years four and five of his tenure here. It's a very fair question. The answer would seem to be that Zaidi has made numerous savvy moves and is seemingly one or two major moves away from having far more success. Thairo Estrada, Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., and J.D. Davis are all good to above-average major leaguers, and all were acquired in trades for next to nothing. The Kevin Gausman, Carlos Rodón, and Wilmer Flores stand out as great acquisitions. The Logan Webb extension was a success. Zaidi simply must be more bold moving forward (for example, he should've signed Gausman to a long-term deal when he had the chance).

So ... who are the candidates to replace the fired Kapler? Everyone has an opinion, from old-school "baseball men" like Ron Wotus, Ron Washington, and Dusty Baker to newer school managers like Craig Counsell, who's contract is up after the season. Donnie Ecker is a very intriguing possibility but would the SF Giants be willing to take a chance on a first-time manager? One other name to keep an eye on: Buster Posey. Sure, he'd also be a first-time manager, but there couldn't possibly be a more popular choice among Giants fans, and that's kind of what this team needs right now is some good morale.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

birddogs

Go to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONMLB or enter promo code LOCKEDONMLB for a free water bottle with any order. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you.

Gametime

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More.Make Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS - GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

Sleeper

Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices