The Giants interviewed third-base coach Mark Hallberg this week in regards to the manager’s job, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Hallberg becomes the first candidate known to officially sit down for an interview, though several other internal candidates are also on the radar. Bench coach and interim manager Kai Correa and longtime former third base coach Ron Wotus are expected to receive interviews, Slusser writes, and catching/bullpen coach Craig Albernaz could also be considered. Albernaz has already been interviewed by the Guardians in regards to their own managerial vacancy.
Hallberg, however, “is emerging as the top in-house candidate” to replace the fired Gabe Kapler, Slusser notes. The 37-year-old Hallberg has been part of San Francisco’s coaching staff for the last four seasons, moving from an assistant coach role to taking over from Wotus as third base coach prior to the 2022 campaign. After playing five seasons in the Diamondbacks’ minor league system from 2007-11, Hallberg moved on to coaching at the high school level, and then for four seasons in the Cape Cod League. He joined the Giants organization as a coach of their former lower-A affiliate in Salem-Keizer in 2018, and then managed the club in 2019.
If the Giants did hire Hallberg, he would be the club’s first (non-interim) first-time MLB manager since Dusty Baker got the job in 1993, though Baker obviously had a larger breadth of Major League experience from his long playing career and his coaching career before moving into the manager’s chair. Considering the increasing impatience from Giants fans to see the team get back on the winning track, Hallberg would immediately face a lot of pressure, though Slusser notes that it could be a popular hire within the team since Hallberg is “well regarded by everyone in the organization.”
Correa and Wotus aren’t surprising names on the list of possibilities, and this would be the second time Wotus has interviewed for the manager’s job — the Giants spoke with Wotus during the 2019-20 offseason prior to hiring Kapler. Wotus has spent the last 35 seasons in the San Francisco organization as a minor league player, then as a manager in the minor league system, and then an extended coaching stint that lasted from 1998-2021. Nineteen of those seasons on staff were served as a bench coach, with Wotus acting as the right-hand man for managers Baker, Felipe Alou, and Bruce Bochy. The 62-year-old Wotus has worked as an advisor within the Giants organization for the last two seasons.
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said he hoped to have the team’s new manager hired before the free agent period fully opens, which occurs five days after the end of the World Series. There haven’t been many public reports about external candidates who may or may not be of interest to the Giants or have spoken to the club already, but Slusser reports that Rangers bench coach Donnie Ecker “is expected to be among the potential front-runners” as San Francisco’s next manager.
Ecker is a familiar face in the Bay Area, having worked as a hitting coach with the Giants in 2020-21. Other teams with managerial vacancies (the Guardians, Mets, and Angels) might also have interest in speaking with Ecker, though the Rangers’ increasingly deep playoff run is a complication, as any interviews would have to be built into breaks in the postseason schedule.
Just like everything under the Zaidi Zoo, they’ll screw this up too.
Nice rhyme Shakespeare.
You know you’re a baseball fan when you hear Shakespeare and think immediately of Pete Rose yelling at Jim Bouton.
Had more of a Dr. Seuss vibe, but I liked it.
This team needs to hire Will the Thrill. Put a little fire back in the dugout after the monotone hipster years.
Madison. Bumgarner.
Just cause Will was a great player does not make him a great manager.
If it’s fire you want, get Jeff Kent. No hipster sentiment there whatsoever.
It should be Donnie ecker or Stephen Vogt
Agree Isaiah!
With Hallberg as bench coach.
Agree those are the two best candidates that have mentioned
Would love to see Ecker get the position and I think he ultimately will, but Hallberg is an intriguing name. I’m excited to see which direction the front office goes.
Hallberg wouldn’t be my first option I hope it’s not him not a fan of interim
The interim manager reference was to when they hired Dusty Baker.
Very underwhelming list
Donnie’s on a roll. It’s all coming together for him.
Hi foppert! Stay strong!
Ha ha. All good. A new guy to go to war for !
Elite free agents don’t want to play in SF. That might be also true regarding managers. The front office will pick whoever they can control. Wotus was interviewed before they hired Kapler. I don’t think he’s interested, he resigned as a coach. The 2024 giants team will be similar to the 2023 giants. And the farm system? It’s not as good as they say, even though the kids are trying hard. No prospects like Posey, Lincecum, Crawford, Bumgarner, etc. The front office needs to go. They can’t build a good competitive team.
Same old sour narrative. Let’s hope this off season cleanses the palate.
You’re making an unfair comparison. Posey was a 5th overall pick, Lincecum and Bumgarner both went 10th overall. Crawford surprised everyone as an unheralded prospect. He wasn’t ever a top 100 prospect. Luciano has the potential to be as productive, or even more so than Crawford. Since Zaidi took over the Giants’ average draft position has been 16.6.
That’s not necessarily true. Carlos Correa? Aaron Judge? Had the Yankees not upped their initial offer, Arson would be a Giant.
Did you forget the Padres offered more too
Both after Farhad straight said he would not be overbid for Judge.
They have missed out on Harper, Stanton, Ohtani, Judge, Turner among others.
It’s an embarrassment when the team charges the most for concessions & tix prices. The dude came in trying to run the team like the A’s or Rays.
They are a big market team & should be ran as such especially for the prices they charge.
Owner only cares bout that real estate project across he street. And got a bargain basement shopper to run & control the spending while making the biggest profit.
Money should go back into the team not fund the real estate project across the street.
“…the Padres offered more too”
That implies the Giants offered more than the Yankees, which is incorrect. The Padres outbid both Giants and Yankees, but apparently Judge wasn’t interested on SD. It was between NY and SF, and when the Yanks matched the Giants’ offer he opted to stay with his original team, a place where he was comfortable. Not surprising.
Not sure where you get your bogus information, but Zaidi did not say he wouldn’t get outbid for Judge. Any PBO should be fired if they ever said something so ridiculously stupid.
And whether ownership cares more about real estate, than winning, neither you nor I know whether that’s true or not. But the fact that they have authorized big offers to FAs like Judge, Correa, and Harper suggests you’re wrong about that.
Or they are just blowing hot smoke up your butt stringing fans along for years because they are like you and not smart enough to know they are being played for fools. Farhan is a raccoon and all raccoons know how to do is sift through trash. Get rid of him
Jean, Indont think it matters. Judge wasn’t leaving the Yankees. I believe he was using the Giants to get more from the Yankees.
coop, Judge would have left the Yankees if they hadn’t matched the offer from the Giants. It was between those two. but with the offers being equal, he stayed where he was familiar with everything. People thought Freddie Freeman wouldn’t leave the Braves, but he left when they wouldn’t match the Dodgers’ offer.
frugal, That’s simply one of the most ridiculous posts I’ve ever seen. Your conspiracy theories are moronic beyond belief. No one is going to believe that nonsensical crap unless they’re seriously deluded. The only reason you spout that complete bilge is that it fits your narrative. It’s laughable, and it would be funny if it weren’t so pitiful.
Some fans believe if “their” team doesn’t spend the “Owners” money however they see fit, than the Owner is…choose your favorite word, frugal, cheapskate, thief, etc.
Buster
Nah, Buster’s a silent type and not someone who’d ever want to face the media with a sound byte every evening.
I get more of a vibe from Buster of someone who wants to build an empire, be the next Magic Johnson, who has stakes in the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, MLS’ Los Angeles FC, and NFL’s Washington Commanders.
I’ve never read where Buster has expressed a desire to manage?
Additionally, as others have observed, a competent & supportive GM & front office team would be necessary to draw the interest of any competent manager candidate,
The Giants have neither at this point.
Mike Matheny
I’ll interview lol
Ron Wotus, no brained
You’re living in the past. Dude is 62. He’s not getting the gig. The most overrated man in baseball, will definitely hire a young yes man that can follow orders. This isn’t the old Giants anymore.
I could see it being Wotus. As a fit, he’s certainly a lot closer to Bochy than Kapler, and the club knows that it needs to curry some respect with its players and fans. A young, green manager might not be the right guy to reestablish the culture in the clubhouse that fractured under Kapler.
Wotus is respected by all in SF, he’s good with people and media, and he could be canned (or just shuffled back into a more advisory role) after one year if things don’t work out.
62, BTW, is more than five years younger than Bochy, who might well lead the Rangers to a ring in a few games.
You’re comparing a HOF manager to a guy who have never been hired as a manager before, and he’s 62. I’m not saying a guy can’t get the job done at 62, or 67, I’m just saying he’s 62 and never been the top guy. This hire would be to clearly appease fans…..who are living in the past. Also, Bochy was 40 when he got his first managers job, and he needs to win 8 more games to get a ring, not a few.
There was reports of an issue or two but fractured isn’t accurate. Just the usual exaggeration to the negative.
The Giants are a mess. Not a great spot for a manager who expects to win. However, there are only 30 of those jobs available, so the club won’t have any trouble getting someone to take the gig. That said, probably gonna be a no-name.
Though he’s far from being a no-name, I’d like to see some team (Giants?) give Raul Ibanez a chance.
Bring back Bope Order! (Bo Porter)
Hallberg is a nice person & dedicated Giants coach. At this time I don’t feel he’s the best candidate for the Giants manager position.
Giants need a fresh face, not a Zaidi puppet, not afraid to challenge Zaidi, relatable, effective commentator, someone who can deal with player & clubhouse issues, administer discipline when needed
Giants, please hire Albernaz! I say this for selfish reasons because I’m a CLE fan, and with the departure of Francona the FO has its sites set on falling back into the routine of hiring rookie managers who fail and are replaced 3 years later. Nothing against Albernaz – you can hire him and then cut him loose once the Guardians have hired someone else. If you could do us that solid, that’d be great.
Buster Posey as player (DH) – manager. And he’s part owner, so good value for the money, Zaidi will like that discount.
Surprising name would be former Cards manager Mike Shildt who led them to three playoff appearances including a tremendous streak in September. He has been Padres coach last two years. He was fired by Cards when he disagreed with their philosophy of over -using analytics. Look at what has happened to the Cards since he’s left their organization!
And nobody in that organization will ever admit it. That’s a hill they’re willing to die on which only proves your point.
They should hire Dan Uggla.
In my opinion if SF Giants decide to go with a first time manager I think Hunter Pence would be a good candidate.