Gabe Kapler is not instrumental in the Giants' free agent recruiting but still plays a part in San Francisco's offseason.
With a very busy offseason ahead, the Giants' manager joined KNBR 680's "Tolbert & Copes" show last Friday and discussed his role in San Francisco's free-agent strategy.
Kapler mostly has a hands-off approach but holds honest conversations with players to help them understand what their role will be with the Giants.
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SIGN UP HERE "The recruiting process is where I want to be instrumental. It doesn't mean that I have to be an essential figure, it just means I would like to be able to talk to the player," Kapler said. "Usually, especially if we're pursuing a bigger free agent player, I might be able to get on the phone with that player, explain what we're trying to accomplish from a clubhouse perspective and how that player might fit into that mix.
"Sometimes it requires a truth-telling conversation. One that comes to mind is one with Joc Pederson, for example, where he said, 'This is the role you'll play on our team if you come to San Francisco, are you comfortable with that?' And then kind of just laying it out, not bulls--tting the player, never saying there's going to be a larger role for them than there's likely to be, but there's holding out the possibility that they can learn a larger role. It's these conversations that I believe I have the ability to be influential in and always look forward to those."
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Whether it's the AL MVP front-runner or another free agent, Kapler will have a role in pitching his squad to any possible new addition.
