Righetti set to remain with Giants

Former Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti is not riding into the sunset just yet. Righetti, whose contract with the club was due to expire at the end of the year, will have a place in the new baseball administration.

A team source said Righetti “definitely” will stay with the organization after a year as a special assistant to former general manager Bobby Evans.

Righetti, a starter and closer in the majors for 16 seasons, was the Giants’ pitching coach for 18 seasons before the club replaced him after 2017 with Curt Young in the wake of a 64-98 record.

The San Jose native helped Evans with a number of tasks in his first year as an adviser, evaluating the Giants during spring training and the regular season while assessing pitchers in the minor-league system, and contributing his expertise ahead of the June amateur draft and July trade deadline.

With his contract expiring, Righetti’s long-term future with the Giants was unclear. Also unclear is exactly what his role will be under Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations, and whether former bullpen coach Mark Gardner, who also was replaced after 2017, would remain.

Righetti, who turned 60 last week, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

Meanwhile, another former A’s front-office assistant is joining the Giants’ front office.

Zaidi is finalizing an agreement with J.P. Ricciardi to be a special adviser. Ricciardi was Toronto’s general manager from 2002 through ’09 and most recently was a special assistant to former Mets GM Sandy Alderson.

Ricciardi also worked for Alderson and Billy Beane in Oakland, rising to director of player personnel before the Jays hired him to be GM.

His hiring comes at a crucial time, with the winter meetings beginning Monday.

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan first reported Ricciardi’s imminent hiring.