In keeping with the old baseball adage "ya gotta blame somebody!" Giants PoBO Buster Posey fired manager Bob Melvin. Earlier in the year it was reported that the Giants had picked up Melvin's option for 2026. I thought that meant they were giving him one more go-round. Apparently not! Matt Williams (third base) and Ryan Christenson (bench coach) are gone as well. Could be more coaching shake-ups to come.
Buster doesn't like to mess around. He's not very patient. I suppose if you are Rookie of the Year and win the World Series in your first season in the majors you develop a NOW mentality. Buster wants to win NOW.
This team should have done better. I suppose changing the skipper is one way to address that. Posey has made his impact on the team with the big free agent signing of Willy Adames and the blockbuster mid-season trade for Rafael Devers. Now he gets to hand-pick his manager. I'm insanely curious! Who does he think will do a better job?
The Twins fired their manager (Rocco Baldelli), too.
--M.C.
9 comments:
I thought they should have fired him in August. I got push back from tons of giants fans and pundits. But then when they did not fire him, I thought they would let him start next season, learn from any mistakes, but keep him on a short leash, especially because his teams often start off the season nicely. Just like last year with the Pads they faded later in the season and they were a very talented team. The word I got from a few so called insiders was that the players were all behind him and wanted him to come back, and they did not want him fired. It seems we have a team now with Devers, Adames, Chapman, and maybe Lee, and then a bunch of platoon type players but the players and the fans were not platoon friendly even if it meant more wins. Melvin had just said a few days ago he would be happy to have Verlander back. I wonder at this time, who you think is high on the 2026 manager list for the giants. Adding some key components this year, and not having to throw so many bullpen games, seemed to be a key to perhaps an 86 win season, but it just did not happen. The team took on the persona of the choke every time it seemed they had a good chance to make a run. As you said someone had to receive the responsibility, and at this point, as far as firing goes, it is not Posey. Lets get another top tier pitcher for out rotation, and perhaps another really solid hitter with a modicum of power. The article in the SF paper suggesting we trade Schmitt, Matos, and Ramos, is perplexing to me. These are guys with significant team control, who all have potential power bats. If they do trade one, two, or all of them, they better get a lot more back than they did for Bart.
It's going to be interesting. They need another rotation piece, for sure. And another real bat in the lineup. I'm with you, I want to keep as many controllable players as possible. Gilbert, Matos, Schmitt, etc. They have upside.
Buster is not afraid. He's going to make moves. He was willing to move Harrison and Doval, both talented players under team control, so he will take some risks.
The way I feel about media opinions is that I can get just as good stuff from guys on barstools!
What a roller coaster year. I can’t remember a year with such extreme ups and downs. This team was bipolar.
I feel like we have a good core to build around. I’m excited to see what Buster can piece together. I’m optimistic that Busters presence has reduced the perceived/real hesitation of feee agents to sign in SF.
BoMel. What a bummer he didn’t work out. I was so excited when we scored him. I’m not sure how much he is to blame for the last two meddling seasons, but he takes the fall. Thats baseball. My first thought was what better options are there? Buster is calculated and of course, he has a plan. We will see what he does. Lots of names being thrown around today, Derosa, Hundley, etc. Im not sure what direction Buster will go, but the manager will be HIS manager.
I've heard the same names. God, I hope he's not looking at DeRosa! The others I've heard like Hallberg or Hundley would be okay. Of course the Rangers and Bochy just parted ways. I don't think bringing in a 70-year old is the answer, even if he is Bruce Bochy.
"Bipolar" is a good word for the 2025 Giants. The team had no identity--couldn't figure out who/what they were and thus were up and down all year.
Buster is a very fundamentals/details/little things kind of guy. He wants a manager who will be on top of all those little things. BoMel, I think, was too casual, too kick-back.
In addition to the Rangers, and Giants, the Twins, Braves, and Angels are looking for new managers. The Rockies are looking for a new GM, unsurprisingly. I just read that Posey is talking to Bruce Bochy, but specifically not as a potential manager.
The Giants have Dusty around for unspecified purposes. Boch can be a sort of emeritus professor, too. All the old guys from the 60s and 70s are gone: Mays, McCovey, Cepeda, Perry. (Well, I guess Marichal is still around.) They need new old guys!
I love Boch, but I was happy to hear Buster say in his press conference today that the Giants are not going that route. The Giants could use him in some kind of ‘old guy’ advisory role. It sounds like Boch has an offer for a similar role with Texas. Im not sure if Boch wants to keep managing or not. I would think he could get a job if he wanted.
Also, Baltimore and Washington are shopping for managers.
I saw a story linking Tennessee coach Tony Vitello with Buster and the Giants. College-to-pro coaching/managing isn't very common in MLB. It happens in other sports but not baseball. It would certainly be a bold move!
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