Latest On Giants’ Managerial Search

The San Francisco Giants have conducted an interview with their third-base coach Mark Hallberg for the team’s managerial position, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. This marks the first official interview for the position, although there are several other internal candidates under consideration. Slusser reports that bench coach and interim manager Kai Correa, longtime former third-base coach Ron Wotus, and catching/bullpen coach Craig Albernaz are expected to receive interviews as well. In fact, Albernaz has already interviewed with the Guardians for their own managerial vacancy.

Interestingly, Hallberg is emerging as the leading choice among internal candidates to replace the recently fired Gabe Kapler. Hallberg, who is 37 years old, has been a part of the Giants’ coaching staff for the past four seasons. He initially served as an assistant coach before taking over as the third-base coach prior to the 2022 season. Before joining the Giants, Hallberg played five seasons in the minor league system of the Diamondbacks from 2007 to 2011. He then transitioned to coaching at the high school level and later spent four seasons in the Cape Cod League. Hallberg joined the Giants organization as a coach for their lower-A affiliate in 2018 and managed the club in 2019.

If Hallberg is hired, he will become the Giants’ first first-time MLB manager since Dusty Baker in 1993. It’s worth noting that Baker had more extensive experience as a player and coach in the Major Leagues before becoming a manager. Considering the pressure to perform from fans, it will be interesting to see how Hallberg handles the expectations. However, Slusser points out that Hallberg has gained widespread respect within the organization and could turn out to be a popular choice.

Including Correa and Wotus as potential candidates is not surprising, as Wotus previously interviewed for the managerial position during the 2019-20 offseason before Kapler was hired. Wotus has spent an impressive 35 seasons with the San Francisco organization, beginning as a minor league player, then as a manager in the minor league system, and finally as a long-serving coach from 1998 to 2021. Throughout his tenure, Wotus has primarily served as a bench coach, working closely with managers Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou, and Bruce Bochy. Over the last two seasons, the 62-year-old has served as an advisor within the Giants organization.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi aims to have the team’s new manager in place before the start of free agency. The free agent period begins five days after the conclusion of the World Series. While there haven’t been many reports about external candidates, Slusser mentions that Rangers bench coach Donnie Ecker is expected to be a strong contender for the Giants’ managerial position. Ecker is familiar with the Bay Area, having previously worked as a hitting coach for the Giants in 2020 and 2021. Keep an eye on other teams with managerial vacancies, such as the Guardians, Mets, and Angels, as they may also express interest in Ecker. However, the Rangers’ ongoing playoff run could complicate any potential interviews due to scheduling conflicts.