With the winter meetings only a day away, attention league-wide is focused on player movement, but the music hasn’t stopped on the annual game of musical chairs played in front offices and dugouts around the league. News is trickling out of San Francisco about the top thinkers being hired to advise Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi on matters of scouting.
Zack Minasian was tabbed to lead pro scouting efforts, per the Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly (via Twitter). Minasian spent fourteen years with the Milwaukee Brewers, the last two as a special advisor to GM David Stearns. He spent six years prior as the director of pro scouting, the same role he assumes in San Francisco. As Baggarly explains in a later tweet, Minasian’s position is principally responsible for the coordination of the scouting staff for both the major and minor leagues, a tremendous undertaking given the current climate around baseball. On a fun note that Baggarly explores in his full article on the Athletic (subscription link), Minasian’s father is the longtime clubhouse attendant for the Texas Rangers. The elder Minasian gave the younger his first opportunity in baseball as his assistant when junior was 11-years-old.
Another new hire in San Francisco, Michael Holmes, will replace longtime amateur scouting director John Barr, Baggarly tweets. Holmes has worked on the other side of the bay in Oakland since 2004, most recently as assistant scouting director. Holmes will be charged with managing amateur scouting efforts, including oversight of the draft. He has big shoes to fill, as Barr’s tenure began in 2008 with the drafting of Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford. Recent drafts have proved less fruitful, however. Holmes will attempt to modernize the Giants scouting department, finding ways to utilize the plethora of advanced metrics now available to front offices.
More good news.
What was the other good news?
Zaidi is not GM, he is President
Same thing different title.
Not the same job at all.Zaidi is VP of Baseball Ops…which means that he is in charge of all things baseball and has the final say,like Friedman in LA.The only person above him is the team President Larry Baer.
@ jasonthebuc: He is President of Baseball Ops, not VP.
@ GoPadresMatt: The fact that he is President of Baseball Ops, and not the GM is important. He was the GM for the Dodgers and they were only going to let him go in a promotion, not a lateral move.
He’s got more power than Evans, the former GM, does. Evans basically just did what Sabean wanted him to. Sabean has stepped down, Zaidi will mainly do his own thing.
Hindsight but an astute observation. If Evans hands were tied & only did what Sabean directed him to… then the wrong guy was fired. Evans likely got less credit for his part in 3 WS Championships. He’s very well respected throughout MLB (ownerships down to players) for his integrity & honesty… he’ll resurface & do fine.
Its not the same thing. The general manager is more of an agent for the team. President is in charge of all baseball and on field matters.
If you think President of baseball operations is the same thing as being the general manager then you do not know much about baseball
The Gigantes are in motion on all fronts. I like it!
Build up that farm. I have high hopes for Bart.
They should get a pinball machine that works
Once Harper signs with them, they’ll win it all.
They’ll be starting a dynasty of mediocrity, oh wait they already have. Shoutout to a great humanitarian baseball1600…
Wow I almost overlooked the towel-boy since 2010..Balk
Don’t want Harper and all the money he would tie up. Need to build all around talent back up
Smart Moves. They’ve been working behind the scenes all along. I like it. Getting ready to roster redue-rehaul-rebuild-redux-reinvigorate-reignite. !!!
This is Giants news I’m stoked to see on this site instead of the signing of Harper or, heaven forbid, A.J. Pollock.
Rebuilding the FO excites me more, Harper might be a financial marketing dream for the owners, but I worry it’ll be at the expense of other needs the team has. As for Pollock, a great talent, but he’s often injured and that’s been a problem for this team…too many guys on the DL. Lets hope the new FO sets a new vision for the team and create a sustainable product from the farm to major league club.
I like these additions, I am grateful for all that John Barr has done for fixing the scouting department back in 2008. His fingerprints are all over this team, unfortunately its become a crime scene the past few years, but his scouting brought us Posey, Crawford, and Bumgarner. This team needs not only a new vision, but needs to find its direction going forward.
I personally don’t think Harper fixes the problems and would much rather see that money is spread over other needs like 2 corner outfielders, a 2B and maybe some fliers on SP looking for bounce backs like Holland, which I wouldn’t mind returning.
The GMen need to rebuild the farm for sustainability, find creative ways to unload a few contracts and create depth on the 40 man. The draft needs to be a major role, as was last years, in reshaping the farm. Quantity over quality in trades, better player development, better strength and conditioning, smarter signings that give the club better financial flexibility and allowing the young guys to play to see what you do have.
Zaidi and company have their work cut out for them, but with the Padres at the tail end of their rebuild, DBack starting theirs, Rockies at the end of their window and the Dodgers perinially in with a good farm for continued success, the Giants can find their way out of the abyss and lay the foundation for many years of success. Lets Go Giants!!!
Harper may not fix all the problems, but he is still a huge talent, that by having him, is not going to hurt the Giants. I understand the idea of spreading resources to address needs, but where are the players coming from to fill the holes? Pollock is the top FA OF, after Harper, and Corbin was the top FA pitcher, and neither one is a guarantee to match, let alone exceed, past production.
The farm is thin, so trading from it is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. The value of most of the players on the current MLB roster is low due to past injuries and down seasons. The mediocre returns are not going to be worth trading guys who might have have more value in bounce back seasons than what they would get in return.
Between the major league roster, the farm, and their financial wherewithal, the financial clout is the Giants greatest resource. Maybe I lack the creative vision, but where are all the players coming from, requiring the spreading of assets, to address the holes that the Giants have?
I do wonder if Zaidi brought back the magic wand that turned these misfit players into superstars?
What the Dodgers did with Chris Taylor, Justin Turner, and Max Muncy is nothing short of miraculous. And if he can find some of these types, there becomes a ton of options.
I agree that their best asset is that of financial strength and yes, Harper would be the type of signing that would a hole in a corner outfield spot. If the Giants decide to go that route then they have another corner outfield spot to sign maybe a Pollock, then maybe a Marwin Gonzalez for help with 2B as well as OF depth.
I am not against them going all out and spending, while hoping for bounce backs from Posey, Longoria, Belt and Crawford. I just worry that signing Harper that they will not spend on the other areas of needs.
Pollock’s health could be a concern, but it could be a gamble that pays off. It all depends on what direction they decide to go and the vision of where they see this team in 2019, 20, 21 and beyond. I hope you are right though because I know that Harper would be marketable and probably worth his pay like Bonds was to the organization.