The underperforming San Francisco Giants didn’t wait for the end of the 2023 MLB season to start making big changes. The team announced on Friday that they have fired manager Gabe Kapler, ending his four-year tenure with the organization.
Kapler is out after the Giants missed out on the postseason for the second consecutive year. The San Francisco team is currently 78-82 and sits 4th in the NL West despite only being 1 ½ games behind the leading Los Angeles Dodgers in July.
The decision to fire Kepler caught some people off guard, considering that the Giants are known for being patient with their managers. Also, Kepler is just two years removed from leading them to a franchise-record 107 regular season wins.
“On behalf of the Giants organization, we wish Gabe the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last four years,” said the president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
It is obvious that the Giants’ front office doesn’t believe Kepler can lead them to repeated success. It is unclear which path the team will take next, with Bob Melvin being the favorite to replace Kepler if the San Diego Padres fire him.
Kepler will leave having compiled a 295- 248 record with the Giants and winning the Manager of the Year award in 2021.
“It is a disappointment to say goodbye,” Kapler wrote on Instagram. “… I felt like I had the chance to help people grow, and people helped me to grow, and I am grateful for the opportunity. We didn’t win enough to satisfy me or our fans.”
