Former SF Giants manager Gabe Kapler lands new gig with Miami Marlins

The SF Giants parted ways with manager Gabe Kapler right before the end of the 2023 season. However, he will not remain out of the job for long as he has been hired by the Miami Marlins to serve as an assistant general manager, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Former SF Giants manager Gabe Kapler lands new gig with Miami Marlins

Kapler had managed for the past six seasons before transitioning to the front office. The first two came with the Philadelphia Phillies but he was fired after consecutive September collapses. The former major league outfielder was tabbed to succeed Bruce Bochy, who stepped away from baseball after 13 years at the helm in San Francisco.

Familiarity played a huge role in that decision as team president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi worked with Kapler while they were both with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kapler served as the director of player development while Zaidi was the general manager when they were with Los Angeles.

The early returns of Kapler's tenure in San Francisco were promising. He posted a 29-31 overall record in 2020 while missing the playoffs in the final game of the season. The Giants followed this up with a 107-win season in 2021 before being knocked out of the playoffs by the Dodgers in the NLDS.

The past two seasons had been much more disappointing as the Giants did not finish above .500 in either year. By the end of his tenure, there were reports of a clubhouse that did not have a lot of chemisty and questions about the team's preparedness ahead of games.

Overall, he finished his Giants tenure with a 295-248 record, which was heavily influenced by that 107-win season. The 48-year-old remains well-respected throughout baseball and even interviewed for the Boston Red Sox general manager vacancy before former reliever Craig Breslow got the job.

Honestly, it might be a bit of time before Kapler gets a chance to interview for another managerial job. And, that next opportunity might not even come. Most managers do not often get more than one or two chances. That said, a move to the front office feels like a good fit for the former manager.

Rosenthal elaborated on Kapler's position in Miami by explaining that he will focus on player development as well as be involved in all areas of baseball operations. Kapler has a player development background from his days with Los Angeles, so this feels like a sensible fit and one where he could do well behind the scenes.