Giants Rumors: Mark Kotsay Considered Favorite for Manager Job

There is reportedly a favorite in the San Francisco Giants' manager search. 

According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (h/t Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area), "word around the industry is that [Mark] Kotsay entered this process as a favored candidate."

One of Baggarly's sources went as far as to say it would be a surprise if Kotsay, who is currently the quality control coach of the Oakland Athletics, wasn't the next hire. 

Kotsay was an MLB player from 1997 through 2013 for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, Athletics, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. There is a connection in place with the Giants, as president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi was a baseball operations analyst with the Athletics when Kotsay was an outfielder.

Since his playing days, Kotsay has been a special assistant in the Padres' front office, Padres hitting coach and Athletics bench coach. 

That experience will come in handy in San Francisco if he is hired considering he will be expected to follow Bruce Bochy. Bochy is one of the best managers of his generation and won four National League pennants and an NL Manager of the Year during his time with the Padres and Giants.

He was in San Francisco from 2007 through 2019 and won three World Series rings.

In addition to Kotsay, Johnson listed in-house candidates Hensley Meulens and Ron Wotus, as well as Chicago Cubs first base coach Will Venable, Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada, Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, and former Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler as other names who have been connected to the Giants' managerial opening.