SF Giants linked to former member of Gabe Kapler's staff for manager opening

The SF Giants are searching for a new manager yet again after firing Bob Melvin. They have already been connected to some names, but one candidate they have been linked to was a member of Gabe Kapler's coaching staff: Craig Albernaz.

Giants insider Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area broke down some potential candidates recently and Albernaz was one he pointed out given his ties to Buster Posey and current players on the Giants.

SF Giants insider links team to Craig Albernaz for manager role

Here is what Pavlovic had to say about Albernaz, who was on San Francisco's coaching staff from 2020 to 2023 under Kapler:

"I think of guys who have ties to Buster...Craig Albernaz, who is with Stephen Vogt in Cleveland. He was Buster's catching coach here in 2021...I think he would be a really interesting fit. He's very energetic, he's more of a people person, I think, than they've had in that spot for a while, and maybe that's what they need."

Albernaz would be an intriguing hire. The fact that he is Vogt's right-hand man in Cleveland with the Guardians, who have just won their second straight AL Central title, is going to make him an attractive candidate to a lot of teams. The Giants certainly must be left regretting their decision to choose Melvin over Vogt a few years ago so maybe hiring Albernaz would be like the next best thing to Vogt.

Last offseason Albernaz was seen as a strong candidate for the coaching vacancy in Miami, but he ultimately withdrew from consideration.

If the Giants do end up considering him for the role, he should have some interest given his ties to the Giants and the situation he would be inheriting. The Giants clearly have talent on the roster and he has familiarity with a lot of the key players on the team, plus that existing relationship with Posey certainly helps.

The connection to Kapler and his coaching staff may ruffle the feathers of fans who abhor Kapler, but one cannot question that his staff was extremely detail-oriented which is something Posey has emphasized as a desired trait in the next manager.

He would also stand in stark contrast to Melvin as a high-energy manager. While Melvin commanded respect, he certainly lacked energy which may have had a negative impact on the team in 2025 especially when things were going poorly.

There are likely going to be a lot of names connected to the Giants in the coming weeks, but Albernaz is one to keep an eye on for the open manager role.

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