The Giants announced on Thursday that they’ve hired Randy Winn as their vice president of player development. The longtime outfielder played for the Giants between 2005-09 and has been involved with the organization in a few different roles since retiring. Farm director Kyle Haines will remain in his current position, according to Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic.
Winn had a lengthy and successful run as a player. He appeared in 13 seasons between 1998-2010 and suited up for five teams. He made an All-Star team as a member of the Devil Rays in 2002 and spent a few years with the Mariners before landing in San Francisco. A switch-hitting outfielder, he finished his playing days with a .284 average and 110 home runs.
Since retiring, Winn has worked as an analyst with NBC Sports Bay Area. He spent a few seasons coaching outfielders throughout the Giants organization and spent a year in the pro scouting department. He was briefly teammates with president of baseball operations Buster Posey in ’09 and has surely maintained a relationship with the franchise icon over the past decade.
Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Posey initially suggested that Winn interview for the general manager position that represented the #2 role in the front office. It’s unclear if that wound up happening before the Giants tabbed Zack Minasian, himself a mainstay in San Francisco’s scouting ranks. Conversations were productive enough that Winn comes on board in a fairly significant role. Giants fans will want to check out Pavlovic’s piece, as he speaks with Winn about the job and his vision for player development more broadly.
