It's hard to be a San Francisco Giants fan this postseason. On the American League side, former Giants manager Bruce Bochy has his Texas Rangers up 2-0 in the ALCS while the SF Giants sit at home after recently firing manager Gabe Kapler. On the National League side, Bryce Harper, whom the Giants tried to sign in 2018-19, is carrying the Phillies much like he did last October. How much of the Rangers' success is attributable to Bochy is up for debate, but there's no doubt it's a bad look for the SF Giants, from ownership to Farhan Zaidi and the front office.

Harper's influence is more clear and obvious, unlike the role of an MLB manager. Harper is simply a superstar player who impacts the game on the field. But beyond that, he seems to have elevated the whole organization, made other star players want to play for his team, and he has elevated his teammates. The San Francisco Giants must surely regret not offering more to Harper, although their final offer did come close.

The Giants need their own identity. It's not healthy or helpful to look back on the past and feel full of regret. Bochy's not coming back to the SF Giants. Harper's going to be with the Phillies for life. So how do the Giants press forward? First, Zaidi and the Giants must nail the managerial hire. Next, they must have a much better offseason than last year—much, much better. The Giants need their own players to build around, and a manager who hones in the analytics at an extent while being much more capable than Kapler was at garnering support from fans and players alike.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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

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