Giants Reportedly Considering In-House Hire to Replace Bruce Bochy

The San Francisco Giants are set to have a very busy offseason. With Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith set to hit free agency, perhaps the most important position is to find a suitable replacement for manager Bruce Bochy, who officially retired at the end of the season.

Giants general manager Farhan Zaidi spoke with the media on Tuesday and revealed that on top of external candidates, he will interview bench coach Hensley Meulens and third base coach Ron Wotus for the now-vacant manager position.

Meulens isn't new to managerial candidacy. Two offseasons ago, Meuelens was one of two finalists for the vacant New York Yankees gig, but lost out to Aaron Boone. In fact, Meulens was a candidate for the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Minnesota Twins over the years.

After numerous stints as a coach in the minor leagues, Meulens joined Bochy's staff in 2010 as a hitting coach before becoming a bench coach in 2018. Meulens also managed Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and 2017.

Like Meulens, Wotus was a serious candidate for the Pittsburgh Pirates manager's job in the past. However, he's been a Giants lifer in his coaching career. Wotus managed at every minor league level from 1991-97, before becoming the third base coach of then-manager Dusty Baker. From 1999-2017, he served as a bench coach for Baker, Felipe Alou, and Bochy.

While there are plenty of hot commodities in the free agent market of manager's, the San Francisco Giants are giving the first crack of interviews to two in-house candidates.