SF Giants Press Clips Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018
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SF Giants Press Clips Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Giants fall to Padres; Holland wants to return, but who’ll make the call? John Shea Derek Holland said he wants to return to the Giants next season, but the team’s decision apparently will be made by someone who’s not yet in the organization. On the day general manager Bobby Evans was fired, Holland made what was probably his final start of the season and gave up three runs in five innings in Monday’s 5-0 homestand-opening loss to the Padres. “I was just blessed with the opportunity to be here,” Holland said when asked about Evans, not comfortable discussing front-office changes in his first year with the team. “We wish we would’ve done a lot better. These guys come every day playing to win. There’s no doubt about that.” Regardless of who replaces Evans and takes over baseball operations, it seems the Giants would have interest in retaining Holland, who’ll be a free agent. The lefty leads the staff in starts, innings and strikeouts. “You look at how well he’s pitched, sure he’s in the mix,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He should be proud of what he did this year. He’ll have some options, and hopefully, we’re one of them.” Bochy said he spoke with Evans on Monday and “thanked him for all his help. Twenty-five years here, it shows you the continuity we have here in San Francisco. He did a lot to help out in different areas. I know he wore some different hats and did a lot for the organization.” 1 The Giants’ players knew of Evans’ firing before the game. “I mean, it sucks,” said shortstop Brandon Crawford, also saddened by the recent dismissal of strength and conditioning coach Carl Kochan. “Anytime you lose somebody who you’ve become close to over the years and has been around as long or longer than you have, it’s tough. ... Obviously, it’s part of the game, but it’s tough to see somebody like that in the front office or someone behind the scenes as a strength coach (get dismissed) when we as players aren’t producing on the field.” A relatively tiny crowd watched the worst teams in the NL West. The energy level wasn’t high, though Hunter Pence, who began the final week of his Giants contract as the leadoff hitter, got nice ovations and went 2-for-4. The Giants were shut out for the eighth time, and San Diego’s Bryan Mitchell (6.16 ERA in his first 10 starts) worked 82/3 innings and exited with the bases loaded before Kirby Yates whiffed Austin Slater to end it. San Francisco Chronicle Giants; Brandon Crawford saddened by Bobby Evans’ firing John Shea When Brandon Crawford was drafted out of UCLA in 2005, Bobby Evans kept in steady contact with the shortstop during contract negotiations. When Crawford was called up to the majors in 2011, it was Evans who made the congratulatory call. “I go as far back with Bobby as anybody in the Giants’ organization,” Crawford said before Monday’s homestand opener against the Padres. “I had a lot of good talks with Bobby.” They resumed their relationship throughout Crawford’s eight seasons in the majors, and the three-time Gold Glover was bummed Monday to hear of the general manager’s firing. News of Evans’ departure came a week and a half after strength and conditioning coach Carl Kochan was fired. “I mean, it sucks,” Crawford said. “Any time you lose somebody who you’ve become close to over the years and has been around as long or longer than you have, it’s tough. “Same thing for Carl. I had Carl as my strength coach in high-A in ’09 and then in 2010 in Triple- A. We basically went through the whole system together. That’s always tough. 2 “Obviously, it’s part of the game, but it’s tough to see somebody like that in the front office or someone behind the scenes as a strength coach (get dismissed) when we as players aren’t producing on the field.” The Giants, 72-84 and buried in the National League West a second straight year, are playing out the final week of the season at home. They’ve lost 16 of 20. “You can’t pinpoint anybody for being at fault for a losing season,” Crawford said, “but ultimately it comes down to us as players performing better. It’s too bad people in their positions are losing their jobs.” Evans, who often spoke glowingly of Crawford, had a hand in building the Giants’ three World Series championship teams, two of which Crawford was the shortstop. CEO Larry Baer confirmed Bruce Bochy will remain the manager next season and Brian Sabean will remain in the front office, both of whom are signed through next season, just like Evans. Baer said Evans will be replaced from outside the organization by someone who’ll run baseball operations. San Francisco Chronicle Giants remove Bobby Evans as general manager Henry Schulman In a move that comes as no surprise at the end of a second straight losing season, the Giants are removing Bobby Evans as general manager. The organization is expected to ask Evans to stay in the organization, but it’s not clear if he would stay or seek employment elsewhere. Evans, like executive vice president Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, is signed through 2019. Bochy and Sabean are expected to keep their jobs. The Giants are searching outside of the organization for a general manager, sources said. If Evans stays, his role could be determined by that hire. 3 Evans, who rose through the ranks after starting with the Giants as an administrative assistant in 1994, was promoted from assistant general manager to general manager as the 2015 season began. He had been an assistant for nine seasons. The Giants won a National League wild-card berth in 2016, but lost 98 games last year and carried a 72-84 record into the season’s final week. The Giants made several significant roster moves during Evans’ tenure that largely have not panned out, including the combined $220 million of contracts given to starters Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, and the four-year, $62 million deal for closer Mark Melancon. All have missed significant time with injuries. Evans also traded third baseman Matt Duffy and prospect Lucius Fox to the Rays for pitcher Matt Moore, a deal that helped the Giants reach the 2016 playoffs but ended in Moore’s trade last winter. After taking the majors’ best record into the All-Star break in 2016, at 57-33, they have gone 166-224. Toward the end of last year’s 64-98 season, Giants President Larry Baer directed Sabean, the former general manager, to take a more active role in building the roster for 2018. San Francisco Chronicle Giants fire Boby Evans as GM; Bruce Bochy, Brian Sabean will return Henry Schulman Bobby Evans, who played a significant behind-the-scenes role in building three World Series championship teams before the Giants promoted him to general manager in 2015, was fired from that job Monday with a week left in a second consecutive losing season. Former general manager and now executive vice president Brian Sabean will keep his job and help Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer find Evans’ replacement from outside the organization. Baer said the new hire will “have the authority to run baseball operations,” while Sabean “will remain a valuable resource to all of us.” Baer also confirmed that Bruce Bochy will return as manager in 2019, the final year of his contract. 4 Sabean and Evans also are signed through next year. Evans remains in the organization for now but said in an interview he is free to seek employment elsewhere and not sure if his replacement will want to keep him. Evans said he got a sense of what was to come during conversations with Baer and Sabean before the Giants left on their final trip of the season, but said, “you’re never really prepared, of course.” Evans said he had not delved into the “analytical” aspect of the club’s decision to fire him, particularly whether he thought he was being scapegoated, but rather was thankful for his 25 seasons with the Giants. He also understands the move. “If we don’t put ourselves in a postseason opportunity every year, we don’t feel like we’re doing enough,” Evans said. “I think that’s how we all feel. Ultimately as general manager, you have to take responsibility for the results. Our results, especially the last two years, do not reflect what the team goals were.” Though he praised Evans’ 25 seasons with the Giants, including nine as assistant general manager and four as general manager, Baer said he and other owners believed it was time to seek a “next-gen general manager” who can bring fresh ideas to the office suite at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. “With all the championships and success here, the last thing I would ever say is we’re disappointed with what our track record is,” Baer said. “But in every organization, there’s a time to bring in new leadership, and that’s what we’re doing.” Baer said the search has just begun and need not be rushed because the club still has Sabean’s expertise on which to rely as early offseason decisions need to be made.