Zaidi ready to take a team effort in leading Giants back
SAN FRANCISCO >> Farhan Zaidi understands the intrigue that stems from his unique baseball path: from the small-budget Oakland Athletics to the big-spending Los Angeles Dodgers and back to the Bay Area to join the rival Giants.
San Francisco’s new frontoffice whiz plans to incorporate plenty from the franchise’s rich tradition by leaning on some of the entrenched baseball minds behind its success this decade, even if there are varying ideas about how to get the Giants back into playoff contention.
“It’s a convenient narrative to see this as kind of a clash of schools of thought. I just don’t see it that way at all,” the MIT-educated Zaidi said of mixing his analytics expertise with the old-school practices of veteran executive Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy. “Obviously we didn’t get to these points in our career the same way or in a similar Zaidi way, but I think that’s part of the beauty of the game, how we all wind up together and then pulling toward a common goal.”
Following four years as general manager of the Dodgers, Zaidi received a five-year contract to become Giants president of baseball operations Tuesday. He was formally introduced Wednesday at AT&T Park, then headed back to Southern California and the GM meetings in Carlsbad. He’ll join up with San Francisco’s front office on site — a trip Zaidi figures will bring some “normalcy” back to his life after a whirlwind few days switching organizations.
Giants CEO Larry Baer and Zaidi first met Friday for a planned two-hour session that carried on for 6½ hours. Zaidi on Wednesday thanked the Dodgers for allowing him to pursue an opportunity with their NL West rival, saying “I’m incredibly gracious.”
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, said it would be fun competing against Zaidi.
At the GM meetings, Friedman said the Dodgers would miss Zaidi’s “creativity, work ethic, ability to connect with people. He’s extremely talented and somebody who’s obviously made a huge impact for us the last four years.”
Friedman said he and Zaidi had conversations about the Giants’ job during the last week. “I kept telling him, obviously I’m biased but I’m trying to do everything I could to support him and be a sounding board and set my bias to the side.”
Van Wagenen: Tebow earned promotion to Triple-A with Mets
CARLSBAD >> New York Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow has earned a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse.
The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback hit .273 with six homers and 36 RBIs in 84 games this year for Double-A Binghamton. His season was cut short by a broken hamate bone in his right hand, which required surgery July 24.
“Timmy is not a guy you want to put restraints on,” new Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Wednesday. “If he sees a block, he’s going to work that much harder to go overcome whatever somebody places on him. I believe in him.”
Tebow hit .301 in June for Binghamton and .340 in 15 games in July.
Sabathia finalizes Yanks deal, says 2019 his final season
CARLSBAD >> CC Sabathia says 2019 will be his final season in the major leagues.
“This will be it,” the 38-year-old lefthander said in a video posted on Twitter on Wednesday after the New York Yankees finalized his $8 million, one-year contract.
Sabathia and New York had reached the agreement Tuesday, subject to a physical.
A six-time All-Star and the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner, Sabathia went 9-7 with a 3.65 ERA in 29 starts this year. He had surgery on his right knee after the 2010 season, in July 2014, after the 2016 season and again last month. Sabathia pitches with a brace on the knee and needs periodic injections.
He is 246-153 in 18 major league seasons with a 3.70 ERA and 2,986 strikeouts, including 129-80 in a decade with the Yankees.