Fire Bobby Evans.
Fire Brian Sabean.
Blow it all up.
It’s the rallying cry of angry Giants fans who are overcome by frustration and fed up with the team’s instability and in their mind, utter ineptitude. Forget the three World Series the franchise won this decade, because the game has clearly changed and baseball has passed Evans, Sabean and everyone else in the Giants’ front office by.
Though the majority of fans would probably like to offer Evans and Sabean an opportunity to prove they can help the Giants escape from the mess they’re currently in, an increasing number of passionate and vocal fans are voicing their displeasure and calling for change.
A problem for the Giants? It’s not hard to see why.
The signature moves made by the Giants so far this offseason are whiffing on Giancarlo Stanton, missing out on Shohei Ohtani, and unloading Matt Moore for a pair of relatively unheralded prospects. Not exactly reason to believe the Giants are ready to contend.
Another problem for the Giants? By this point in the offseason, San Francisco is usually putting the finishing touches on its roster and preparing for Spring Training. This year, Evans hasn’t even managed to resign backup catcher Nick Hundley. The optics are bad, and the Giants’ front office probably knows this. Fan unrest comes with the territory, and even after the Giants strolled down Market Street earlier this decade, there were undoubtedly diehards wondering why members of the front office were partaking in parades rather than preparing trades that would ensure a repeat of history.
After a 64-98 season that brought about a last-place finish in the National League West, the heat is on and Evans knows his seat is warming up. If the Giants suffer through another sub .500 season and again look like a directionless mess, questions about job security won’t just be coming from the outside, they’ll be coming from the inside, too. It’s the reason the Giants were so aggressive in their pursuit of Stanton, and why they made a detailed pitch to Ohtani. San Francisco needs a superstar not to distract fans from what’s really going on, but because it just doesn’t have enough talent to compete right now.
As the march toward Spring Training continues, anger and aggravation may only become more prevalent. Until the Giants acquire a center fielder, third baseman and bullpen help, the rallying cry of disappointment and discontent will continue. Even then, if Evans and Sabean don’t bring in marquee names, a certain percentage of fans won’t believe the Giants will turn things around until it actually happens on the field. And they have every right to wait and see.
It’s true that the moves made by Evans and Sabean created the firestorm that surrounds them. The team that posted a 64-98 record was a roster full of players they signed, traded for, drafted and developed, and it’s a roster that includes several high-priced assets who are on the books well into the future. The future contract commitments, in fact, are actually the primary reason the Giants can’t “blow it up.” Several of the team’s highest paid players have no-trade clauses, and some that don’t have contracts most other teams wouldn’t be willing to take on.
By the looks of it, the Giants’ current situation is a total disaster, and it appears almost impossible for Evans and Sabean to dig themselves and the franchise out of the hole they created.
However…
There are a number of factors to consider before fans should join in on the “fire everybody” chorus.
- The Stanton/Ohtani sweepstakes didn’t just delay the start of the offseason for the Giants, it delayed it for the rest of baseball. The top free agent hitters, J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer, Todd Frazier, etc. all remain unsigned, and outside of a few relievers inking deals, very little has been accomplished by the other 29 teams looking to improve. The Giants are still very much in the mix for hitters who can help, including an outfielder like Jay Bruce.
- The Giants’ payroll situation is wildly complicated. While it’s true that San Francisco is a major market and the Giants have, at least for the last decade, spent like a major market franchise, exceeding the luxury tax could do the franchise significantly more harm than good. While Evans and Co. have sent the Giants’ fan base mixed messages about the team’s willingness to surpass the tax threshold (Yes for Stanton, but probably not for other stars) the penalties are severe and could impact the future in a negative way. Surpassing the $197 million threshold would cost the team draft picks in a year in which picking second matters, and could prevent the Giants from having enough capital in the future for certain long-term contracts the team will want to offer players like Madison Bumgarner.
- It’s still not Spring Training, it’s still not Opening Day, and the Giants’ record is still 0-0. Admittedly, it looks incredibly difficult for the Giants to build a competitive roster in 2018 while staying until the luxury tax threshold, but until the season starts and the team takes the field, Evans and Sabean have time to implement their strategy to save the franchise. No ownership group in its right mind would fire a general manager and key baseball operations personnel in the middle of the offseason, so calling for heads is premature. (Unless of course, you’re a fan that wanted these firings to take place during the first week of October.) If Evans and Sabean can’t successfully position the team to meet their goal of “contending” next season, then I assure you, their job security will weaken. But right now, just about every option outside of Stanton/Ohtani is on the table, so as bad as the optics might look, there’s still every opportunity for Evans to make several moves that can position the Giants for success.
The current climate, in sports and just about every other discipline, calls for immediacy and anger. If a problem isn’t addressed immediately, then angry responses are encouraged.
In baseball, though, the offseason is long and because of certain market factors we’ve already discussed, pivotal moves have been delayed this year. The delay, of course, leads to anger, and whether it’s justified or not, it’s a sentiment that will continue to surface until fans feel the team’s needs have been properly addressed.
As the Giants front office toils, fan frustration boils. Whether that frustration turns to admiration remains to be seen, but what we do know is that there’s still a long way to go until the start of the 2018 season.