About two weeks in the past, within the late hours of September 4 Pacific Time, it was introduced that the Giants and third baseman Matt Chapman agreed to a six-year, $151MM extension to maintain him from opting out of his contract and returning to free company. In latest days, a report from Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic characterised the negotiations as uncommon, with former participant Buster Posey dealing instantly with Chapman, working round Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and Chapman’s agent Scott Boras. Posey is a minority proprietor of the membership and part of its board of administrators.
This appeared to recommend that the membership’s possession group was shedding religion in Zaidi as its prime baseball resolution maker. As we speak, a report from John Shea and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle frames the negotiations in a different way. Per the report, which readers are inspired to take a look at in full, Zaidi has been within the hospital a few instances currently with an undisclosed medical difficulty, conducting enterprise from there, and the involvement from different workers members was pretty regular within the context of his health-related absences. As we speak’s report from the Chronicle means that the earlier reporting from The Athletic overstated Posey’s function in the entire affair. Each Boras and Zaidi spoke to the Chronicle and admitted that Posey was concerned, which they each welcomed, however they pushed again on the concept that this was some sort of subterfuge operation.
“Any report that implies that Farhan and I didn’t negotiate the monetary bundle is inaccurate,” Boras instructed the Chronicle. “The years and assure totals introduced to Matt have been a product of a two-week negotiation performed with Farhan and me whereas he was out and in of the hospital. As with most long-term contracts, after you have settlement on monetary phrases, there are ancillary contract phrases – assure language, no-trade provisions, charitable donations, signing bonus and wage cost construction – which might be generally accomplished by different crew officers. As soon as the ancillary phrases have been accomplished, Farhan and I exchanged a letter of settlement Monday afternoon (Sept. 2), and the settlement was concluded.” Zaidi framed issues equally.
Regardless of the completely different image of the negotiations, the report does acknowledge that Zaidi seems to be on the new seat. Per the Chronicle, the membership’s board of administrators needs to attend for the ultimate weeks of the season to play out earlier than deciding on Zaidi’s future. If his job safety is tied to the Giants’ on-field efficiency, he could certainly be in hassle. They’ve gone 5-9 in September, bringing their season-long report right down to 73-78. The remaining schedule is pretty robust. They play the Orioles twice extra earlier than three video games every in opposition to the Royals, Diamondbacks and Cardinals.
There was loads of smoke round Zaidi and the entrance workplace currently, on the heels of some years of tepid outcomes. The membership went 107-55 beneath his watch in 2021 however that report fell to 81-81 in 2022, then 79-83 final yr and could be even decrease this yr. Per week in the past, a report from Shea revealed that the contracts of Zaidi and supervisor Bob Melvin are solely assured via 2025 and never 2026, as beforehand believed. Each contracts have some type of membership possibility construction for 2026 however nothing is locked in and the main points of the choices aren’t publicly recognized. That was adopted by the report from The Athletic suggesting that the possession group grew pissed off by an absence of progress within the Chapman talks and dispatched Posey to take the reins.
As we speak’s report frames issues in a approach that’s much less detrimental to Zaidi however nonetheless doesn’t again away from the notion that he’s in hassle. Per Shea and Slusser right this moment, the homeowners will do no matter they suppose is finest for the crew, no matter Zaidi’s contract state of affairs and are “taking a tough look” at him. Whether or not all this smoke is indicative of a firing is one thing that can maybe be revealed within the coming weeks and months.
