SF Giants’ Zaidi makes a U-turn with manager choice, offseason plans

There’s an episode of “Seinfeld” where George Costanza, distraught with the general state of his life, decides to try doing the opposite of everything he’d normally do. “If every instinct you have is wrong,” Jerry tells him, “then the opposite would have to be right.”

It ends up working out spectacularly. George gets a girlfriend, a new apartment and his dream job with the Yankees, one he holds for years until he’s traded for some kind of fermented chicken drink. The philosophy worked so well for George that it has actually inspired people in real life to adopt it, and some feel their lives changed for the better as a result.  

So, it’s fair to ask: Is Farhan Zaidi a “Seinfeld” fan? Because his actions so far this offseason seem to suggest he’s adopted the Costanza way.  

It always seemed as though the Giants were waiting for Melvin, whose relationship with Padres general manager A.J. Preller seems broken beyond repair. You only had to watch the interview Melvin gave after his star closer, Josh Hader, refused to enter a game against the Giants to get four outs to know his time in San Diego was up. And though he doesn’t officially have the Giants job yet, a team doesn’t ask a division rival for permission to talk to its manager about making a lateral move without a clear idea that the job is his if he wants it.

If it seems as though the Giants are trying to create a sort of Bochy-lite situation, well, it’s probably because that’s what this feels like. In desperate need of a new direction, they’re once again turning to an old catcher who’s currently managing the Padres, though this one comes with the added advantage of being an ex-Giant with strong ties to the late Humm Baby himself, Roger Craig. And though Melvin may not move the needle much in terms of fan excitement, the Giants can sell his history with the club, as well as his not-Kapler-ness to the portion of the base that was turned off by the former manager’s style and personality.  

And if that weren’t enough, the club may be turning to another old trick to generate some buzz: filling the coaching staff with ex-Giants. Matt Williams, Pat Burrell and Ryan Vogelsong may be in line for key roles on a potential Melvin-led staff, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.) It would be a far cry from the larger, more recent staffs that had been filled mostly by coaches with little to no connection to the Giants and more reminiscent of when Mark Gardner, Dave Righetti and Shawon Dunston were around.

Would any of this work to bring fans back and, more importantly, win games? Melvin is a well-respected leader who’s done well at every stop. He seems to foster good relationships with his players — and has a great reputation with Japanese and Korean players in particular, which may come in handy for a team pursuing the top pitcher in Japan (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), the top hitter in Korea (Jung-hoo Lee) and the top player in the world (Shohei Ohtani). One of the key things the Giants were looking for in their next manager was the ability to recruit, and Melvin could provide that.

He’s shown an ability to blend the analytical with the old-school throughout his career, having worked with Billy Beane and Zaidi in Oakland to great success, and with Preller in San Diego to … well, not as much success, but still. Melvin seems like the type of manager who takes suggestions from the front office but is not beholden to them, which could be just what the Giants need in terms of both on-field production and public perception. He also would bring with him a .516 winning percentage, four first-place finishes and eight postseason appearances over a 20-year managerial career. Though none of his teams have made it past the league championship series, he has a proven track record as a winner.

The caveat, though, is the implosion of this year’s Padres team — and what caused it. Was it simply a case of too many superstar egos in one clubhouse? Did the team lack core leadership? Whatever it was, it’s concerning, especially considering the Giants listed a lack of chemistry and accountability as a few of the reasons for letting Kapler go.

But overall, a potential Melvin hire makes a lot of sense for the Giants even though it’s impossible to shake the feeling that this is a Costanza-esque course correction from a front office on its last chance to succeed. The new manager needs to be a sure thing, and in a market filled with recently retired players, untested coaches and boring retreads, Melvin is by far the best option to meet the “sure thing” criteria.

He’s the anti-Kapler, the closest facsimile to Bochy the Giants could hope to find this offseason. And that might be enough.