Bruce Bochy will probably get a statue outside of Oracle Park some day. He means that much to the San Francisco Giants, so the news of him accepting the role of manager with the Texas Rangers last week was shocking, even if it could be seen coming. Bochy read the room and seemingly agreed mutually with the organization that it was time to move on as the club prepared to bring in a new president of baseball operations, a role that ultimately went to Farhan Zaidi. Bochy managed the Giants for one more season, then he "retired."
But it was apparent almost right away that Bochy still wanted to manage again someday. Which was a little bit awkward from the SF Giants' perspective. The optics made it appear that Bochy was nudged out the door, which may in fact have some truth to it (but it was seemingly decided before Zaidi was hired, so it was more of an organizational decision than a front office one). Anyhow, what will Bochy bring to Texas? What made him so beloved in San Francisco, aside from simply winning three titles? What enables the San Francisco Giants to win those three championships under Boch?
There are a lot of connections between the SF Giants and Texas Rangers these days. Bochy is the new Rangers manager, and Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported recently that the Rangers plan to make a big push for 2022 SF Giants ace Carlos Rodón. Rodón had a monster season in San Francsico in 2022, and he is certain to opt out of the $22.5M player option for 2023. The Giants have been hesitant to hand out long-term deals to starting pitchers, so it wouldn't be a shock if Rodón doesn't return to the Giants. The same kind of thing happened last year with Kevin Gausman.
Former Giants hitting coach Donnie Ecker, who accepted a role as Rangers bench coach and offensive coordinator following the 2021 campaign, is also discussed. Bochy's coaching staff, and whether he'll go with more "old school" vs. "new school" coaches, will be fascinating to watch. Ecker fall firmly in the latter category.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
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