5 candidates to replace Gabe Kapler if the SF Giants fire him

If someone wants to get San Francisco Giants fans really riled up, all they would have to do is ask a group of them their thoughts on Giants manager Gabe Kapler. For some, Kapler has done his absolute best to get the most out of a Giants' roster that clearly has some issues. For others, Kapler is a guy that over-manages games and who has done precious little to help the Giants get over the hump the last couple of years.

For the moment, the team's public line is that the Giants intend to keep Kapler around for 2024 at least. This does make a certain amount of sense as the team has voiced a desire to keep Farhan Zaidi around as well and Zaidi has been a big Kapler backer. At the end of the day, the players have to perform and given what the Giants had to work with this year, Kapler and the team haven't done all that badly and they could very well sneak into the playoffs despite their struggles of late.

However, it is a bit strange that the team keeps talking about extending these guys without actually, you know, extending them. The reality is that when a team struggles down the stretch like the Giants have, the manager can very quickly find themselves on the hot seat and this is particularly true of a polarizing figure like Gabe Kapler.

Here are 5 candidates to replace Gabe Kapler if the SF Giants move on from him

To be clear, this isn't an argument for the Giants to let Gabe Kapler go. There are some good reasons to keep the guy around including the fact that Kapler is just two seasons removed from a 107 win season and winning NL Manager of the Year. This is just an acknowledgment of the reality of the sport (and optics) of baseball. When a team is good, the manager is generally considered good. When a team struggles, the manager is blamed. That isn't particularly fair, but if the Giants feel like a change is needed to get over the hump and Zaidi feels like he is starting to get some heat from above, a change in leadership could indeed come to pass.

Let's take a look at some managerial candidates to replace Kapler if that is the direction the Giants go in.