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

Kai Correa - Giants Bench Coach

It is very fair to look at internal options that may exist in the Giants’ organization because it is very hard to find a new manager from the outside in a timely manner that is both someone you want who is also available. Kai Correa has been with the team since 2020 as their bench coach and has already created buzz as a managerial candidate.

There are some real positives here. Correa is already well-versed in analytics as well as defensive coaching and is also very familiar with how to communicate that data to the clubhouse in a useful way which is not a small deal. Correa is also young which should (in theory) allow him to relate better to younger players as they join the big league team from the minor league ranks. If the Giants decide to go with someone inside the organization, Correa may be the leading contender.

Tony Mansolino - Orioles Third Base Coach

The Baltimore Orioles are a league laughingstock no longer and one of their coaches that may very well be worth poaching is third base coach Tony Mansolino. Mansolino doesn't have oodles of experience coaching in the big leagues, but he comes from a baseball family and he has coached for a long time in the minors. With all of the young guys that the Giants are going to be playing over the next couple of years, having a manager that is used to dealing with younger guys trying to figure things out could be really helpful.

When it comes to a candidate like Mansolino, the Giants may be hesitant to hire him if they want more of a "sure thing" given their playoff aspirations. There aren't going to be a ton of those types of guys available, however, and the Orioles are clearly turning into a well coached, prepared, and well-rounded team under their current coaching staff who seem to know how to use data effectively. Mansolino would carry some risk given his lack of major league coaching experience, but the upside is significant as well.

Rodney Linares - Rays Bench Coach

It seems like every year, another Rays' coach gets poached to help run another team and Tampa still finds another guy to fill in and turn into the next manager-in-waiting. The Rays have several viable candidates to choose from here, but Rodney Linares is the pick for the Giants. Linares has a lengthy resume of being a minor league coach with Houston before joining Tampa's coaching staff. The organization clearly likes him over there as he was promoted to bench coach after Matt Quatraro volunteered as tribute to manage the Royals.

Not only has Linares coached for two teams that are at or near the top of the analytics game, but he also has experience with player development and has connections to the international side of the game as well with his work with the Dominican Winter League and the World Baseball Classic. His rise through the coaching ranks has been swift, but Linares checks a lot of boxes especially when you consider that finding a manager with this level of experience in implementing data into actual coaching is very, very difficult.