San Francisco Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi finds himself in a situation like former Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom. His team has only gone to the postseason once during his five years running the Giants baseball operation. Unlike what the Red Sox did with Bloom, San Francisco is allowing Zaidi to see his vision through for at least another season. This year has been a roller-coaster season for the Giants. San Francisco entered the month tied for the final wild-card spot with the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks. However, a meltdown in September has essentially ended San Francisco’s postseason hopes. Given more time from ownership, Farhan Zaidi must seize the opportunity.
Inheriting an Unhealthy Situation Made Worse
Embed from Getty ImagesLike Chaim Bloom’s in Boston, when Farhan Zaidi arrived in San Francisco, the Giants’ situation wasn’t the healthiest. The farm system ranked toward the bottom of the league, the MLB roster had a bunch of expensive aging veterans, and the team didn’t even have an analytics department prior to Zaidi’s arrival. Despite having a strong trade chip in Madison Bumgarner, ownership didn’t want to send him away. Instead, they opted to try to win in manager Bruce Bochy’s final season, further prolonging the rebuild.
A Surprisingly Magical 2021 Season
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter barely missing the postseason during the COVID-19-shortened season, San Francisco had a magical 2021. The Giants won an MLB-high 107 games and the NL West that season. However, the Giants would bow out in five games in the NLDS to the Dodgers. Zaidi himself would win MLB’s Executive of the Year award. While their season ended in disappointment, many people thought that this was a sign of things to come.
Recent Season Struggles and Being Boring to Watch
Embed from Getty ImagesFor the past two seasons, San Francisco has been unable to encore their success in 2021. If were honest about their offense, the Giants have been just boring and unentertaining to watch. Their lineup has no marquee names in it. The only player who has more than 20 home runs is Wilmer Flores and the player who leads the team in RBIs is J.D. Davis with 69.
Farhan Zaidi Has Attempted to Be Aggressive Yet Cautious
Embed from Getty ImagesUnlike Chaim Bloom, Farhan Zaidi has had the courage to attempt to make a splash move. In 2021, Zaidi traded two prospects to the Cubs to acquire Kris Bryant. During this past offseason, he attempted to sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa. The Giants even initially had Correa before an ankle injury came up during his physical which came up again later with the Mets. While Zaidi has shown a willingness to be aggressive, he has tended to work along the margins. He has had a lot of success with under-the-radar pick-ups like J.D. Davis, Mike Yastrzemski, Thairo Estrada, Kevin Gausman, Jose Alvarez, and more.
However, in five years as the Giants GM, Farhan Zaidi has had yet to land a big name in free agency. This all comes despite proclaiming last offseason that the Giants no longer had any financial constraints and would be aggressive. After failing to land Judge and Correa, Zaidi decided to sign Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, Ross Stripling, Sean Manaea, Taylor Rogers, and Luke Jackson. Stripling and Haniger have been busts this season, Manaea has been mediocre at best while Conforto, Jackson, and Rogers have been productive this year. Overall, Zaidi has struggled to get a good return on investment when he makes a big signing.
A Brutal September
Embed from Getty ImagesHeading into September, the San Francisco Giants had a great chance to return to the postseason. They were tied with the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wild-card spot. However, the Giants have had a disastrous month which has ultimately knocked them out of the postseason for the second straight year. Although the season hasn’t been completely lost year, 12 different players have made their MLB debuts this season. This includes Patrick Bailey and Kyle Harrison who were drafted by the team in 2020.
Next Season Is Critical for Farhan Zaidi
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Giants have already announced that Farhan Zaidi will be returning in 2024. San Francisco is evidently showing him much more patience than the Red Sox did with Chaim Bloom. While nobody inside the Giants has indicated that Zaidi is on the hot seat, next year is a critical year for him. San Francisco Giants fans are very frustrated by his recent shortcomings. With Zaidi being given extended leeway, he must reward San Francisco’s faith next season and get back to the playoffs.
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