SF Giants general manager candidate with extensive background withdraws from consideration

The SF Giants have a pretty long list of general manager candidates at the moment. You can cross one name off of the list as Kansas City Royals assistant general manager Scott Sharp has withdrawn from consideration according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

SF Giants general manager candidate with extensive background withdraws from consideration

Rosenthal cites family considerations as the reason for Sharp taking his name out of the running. Interestingly, he also notes that the longtime Royals executive is still interested in leading a front office in the future.

That would not have been the case with the Giants as any general manager candidate would be reporting to new team president of baseball operations Buster Posey. Posey has limited traditional front office experience, so he is seeking someone with an extensive scouting background.

Sharp certainly checks that box as he got his career started as a scout for a number of teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers. He joined Kansas City's front office as an Assistant Director of Player Development in 2008. Since then, he has held a variety of roles in player development and is currently serving as an assistant general manager.

It is no surprise to see Sharp's name emerge as a potential candidate for any general manager vacancy. The Royals just completed a season in which they reached the ALDS after winning 86 games in the regular season.

They have one of the best players in the game in Bobb Witt Jr. and they have pieced together a solid rotation thanks to some shrewd additions like Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans.

Perhaps, Sharp's best path to running a front office is sticking with the Royals until that the next opportunity arises. Not every organization has a team president of baseball operations. In fact, the general manager is running the front office for most teams in baseball. That would be the logical next step for Sharp.

With the Giants, there would be little upward mobility and the potential to becoming a scapegoat if the team did not perform during his tenure. On the other hand, it would have padded Sharp's résumé if the Giants did succeed with him in the front office. That is a moot point now that he has withdrawn from consideration.

The Giants still have a number of candidates in the mix such as Billy Owens, Logan White, De Jon Watson, and Jeremy Shelley. Of the names mentioned, Shelley is considered the safest option given that he has been with the organization for nearly 30 years.