3 reasons why the SF Giants would appeal to a slick-fielding shortstop

3 reasons why the SF Giants would appeal to a slick-fielding shortstop

2. The Bob Melvin Connection

Bob Melvin's two-year tenure with the San Diego Padres did not go as planned as his teams struggled to live up to the lofty expectations that came with the star talent on those rosters. When the Giants hired Melvin, one quality that they sought was someone who could help in recruiting. Despite the subpar 2024 win-loss record, the Giants did have quite a bit of success in free agency last winter.

Melvin has been managing for over 20 seasons and has established a lot of connections during that time. When he joined San Francisco, he brought many of the same members of his coaching staff over from the Padres. Melvin and his coaching staff had two years of experience with Ha-Seong Kim.

Since becoming the Giants' manager, Melvin has often spoken positively about Kim and Kim about Melvin. When Jung Hoo Lee signed his long-term deal with the Giants, he reached out to Kim who told him that Melvin was a great manager.

Plus, Melvin has a strong reputation for managing players from the Pacific Rim. Much in the same way that Melvin had a connection to Matt Chapman last winter, it feels like a similar vibe between the Giants manager and Kim this time around.