Why this SF Giants trade deadline could be Farhan Zaidi's Last Stand

The SF Giants decided to part ways with Gabe Kapler rather than Farhan Zaidi last season. Now, Zaidi may be the next one on the chopping block if the Giants cannot turn things around and make the postseason in 2024.

Why this SF Giants trade deadline could be Farhan Zaidi's Last Stand

The Giants sit at 47-50 right now. Their season could go either way this season. If they play well consistently they could definitely earn a spot in the postseason while any extended struggles would almost assuredly mean another missed postseason for the Giants.

If the Giants do miss the postseason, it would reflect very poorly on Farhan Zaidi, the President of Baseball Operations for the Giants. He assumed that role back in 2018 and the Giants have made the postseason just once during that period back in 2021 with their miraculous 107-win campaign.

If the Giants miss the postseason yet again under Zaidi, it will raise serious questions about his ability to run the front office. Rival executives have even mused that Zaidi could be out of a job if the Giants miss the playoffs this year.

This should not come as any surprise. It would not have been a huge shock to see the Giants get rid of both Kapler and Zaidi after last season, but they felt that the Bob Melvin-Zaidi pairing could be effective given their history in Oakland.

Thus far, that has not been the case. This has looked a lot like the middling Giants baseball that has become the norm in San Francisco the last two and a half seasons.

That is why it is somewhat surprising that Zaidi does not seem to publicly feel any sense of urgency. He has thrown cold water on the idea of a big splash at the deadline and he has even publicly said the team may be a seller if things do not go great the next two weeks.

Unless this is just public posturing, Zaidi seems to be working under the assumption that he has some job security. The Giants did extend his contract to match Bob Melvin's three-year deal, but this was less an endorsement of the job he has done and more of a way to relieve the pressure that would come with entering a season knowing it was the last year of his contract.

Nonetheless, Zaidi should approach this like it is a make-or-break year for him. That is the way he operated in the offseason, signing big players like Blake Snell and Matt Chapman. He cannot be completely blamed for the team's struggles. Injuries and performance are ultimately out of his control.

However, at a certain point someone is going to be the scapegoat when a team continually fails to reach its goals. Zaidi has done some good things with the Giants, but if he does not make any major additions at the deadline and the Giants just peter out the rest of the way, then it may be time for a fresh start in the team's front office next season.