SAN FRANCISCO _ Giants CEO Larry Baer has promised a significant offseason shake up, but the franchise did not wait until the end of the 2018 season to begin making changes.
General manager Bobby Evans has been dismissed from his job and a search will begin for a replacement, according to a source. The San Francisco Chronicle first reported Evans' firing.
Evans has spent more than 20 seasons in the organization and was elevated to general manager after the Giants won the 2014 World Series. Evans had one season left on his contract, but the Giants announced Monday they plan to go in a new direction as the team closes out its second consecutive losing season.
"I want to thank Bobby for his tireless work on behalf of the Giants," Baer said in a press release. "He played an important role in our team's success throughout his tenure, which includes three World Series championships, four NL pennants and eight playoff appearances. We look forward to new leadership to continue our historic record of success."
Though Evans will not continue in his role as general manager, the Giants plan to reassign him to a different job within the organization.
Vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean will work with Baer to find the organization's next general manager.
The Giants have posted a 166-224 record since the 2016 All-Star break and have suffered back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since the franchise finished below .500 in four straight years from 2005-2008.
Sabean served as the Giants' general manager from 1997-2014 before he became the vice president of baseball operations and Evans was promoted to the general manager position. After the Giants lost 98 games in 2017, Sabean took on more control of the day-to-day operations as he and Evans collaborated to build the 2018 roster.
Evans played a critical role in helping Sabean construct the franchise's three World Series teams, assisting Sabean in the front office before taking over primary responsibilities as general manager. Under Evans' leadership, the Giants have made several high-profile trades including one that sent fan favorite Matt Duffy to the Tampa Bay Rays and others that brought third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco.
Since the end of the 2014 season, many of Evans' marquee free agent signings have failed to live up to expectations. The Giants spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars to bring in starting pitchers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija prior to the 2016 season and committed $62 million over four years to land reliever Mark Melancon before 2017 and all three pitchers have had multiple stints on the team's disabled list.
