With the Giants facing a critical offseason, building a coaching staff under newly hired manager Bob Melvin will be a top priority.
Melvin joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt on the latest episode of the “Giants Talk” podcast, where he hinted that he may want to add coaches with previous ties to the organization to his new team in San Francisco.
“We’re trying to put together a coaching staff here,” Melvin told Britt. “We also try to bring a little local flavor into it. Maybe some former Giants will show up. So that’s the focus right now.”
Melvin made a point of expressing his desire to hire longtime Giants third baseman Matt Williams as coach after he served on his staff in Oakland and with the San Diego Padres for the past two seasons.
“Today is the first of November, many contracts expire today,” Melvin said to Laura Britt. “So today is kind of the day where we can reach out to a few guys who may have been under contract somewhere else. I know Matt Williams comes to mind and he would be someone that would be very important for us to bring to this team and I hope that’s the case.
Williams spent two seasons as manager of the Washington Nationals (2014 and 2015) and served as third base coach for Melvin at several stops.
More importantly, Williams has the Bay Area roots that Melvin prioritized after spending a decade as a local icon with the Giants from 1987 to 1996.
Melvin then explained why he believes these ties to the region and the organization are critical when it comes to filling a staff tasked with helping turn around the franchise.
“I want the guys to understand the history of the Giants, and a lot of people who grew up in the Bay Area understand that,” Melvin said. “I also want continuity in the organization because when you’re in a good organization you have to believe that there’s a chance to get to the big leagues. Typically the way we did it in Oakland was when we had a coaching position open, it came out of the system. It created a really good organization where everyone was together and everyone knew there was a certain way to do it, an A way, just like there’s a Giants way.”
The Giants’ new manager made it clear that there is no exact plan for filling a coaching staff, but that what is most important is maintaining a balanced approach that includes outside talent while providing opportunities for advancement within the organization.
“So there has to be a balance,” Melvin shared. “I’m new to this. There will be some people that are important to me that I will bring in from outside. But I also want to promote from within, and hopefully there are a few replacement coaches, but hopefully there’s at least one coach in the system that you’ll see in the big leagues. So it’s a bit of a balance.”
Melvin comes to the Giants with 20 years of experience as a major league manager. His lengthy resume and first-hand knowledge will certainly prove invaluable as he adds to his staff ahead of one of the most important seasons in franchise history.
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