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The rumors were just confirmed that Dodger General Manager Farhan Zaidi is to become President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants.
OFFICIAL: The #SFGiants have hired Major League executive Farhan Zaidi as the club’s President of Baseball Operations. pic.twitter.com/MmUFMsSu4r
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) November 7, 2018
Earlier today at the first day of the General Managers Meetings in Carlsbad, California, Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, said this about the moves going on with his front office and coaching staff.
#Dodgers Andrew Friedman says he has felt "more like an HR director" over past 9 days because of the departures, staffing decisions. Would not comment on GM Farhan Zaidi's offer from the #Giants. But Zaidi is not attending the GM Meetings this week
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) November 6, 2018
Andrew Friedman, not Farhan Zaidi, represented the Dodgers at today's media availability at the GM Meetings.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) November 6, 2018
Asked about the Giants' interest in Zaidi, Friedman declined to comment.
"Obviously, that’s Farhan’s news. It’s not appropriate to comment on right now."
It was four years ago to the day, November 6. 2014, when Zaidi was named the General Manager of the Dodgers. He and Josh Byrnes were the first two significant hires by Andrew Friedman.
Zaidi has been in place for all of the major personnel transactions the Dodgers have made over the last four seasons as he has been the now former Dodger General Manager with two National League Pennants and four consecutive National West Division Titles on his resume.
He takes over a Giants team that during that same time went 308-340 with two second place finishes and one National Divisional Series loss in 2016. In the last two seasons, the Giants are 137-187, finishing a combined 58½ games behind the Dodgers.
This is the second straight off-season where a Dodger front executive was hired to run another major league team’s baseball operations department. On November 13, 2017, Alex Anthopoulos was hired as the Executive Vice President and General Manager.
One thing to watch, the Dodgers have not made a trade with the Giants since August 9, 2007 when Travis Denker was sent to the Giants for Mark Sweeney. While former Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti did acquire his share of former Giants, this was the only trade he did with his former club.
On the other hand, Anthopoulos did two moves with the Dodgers in a little over a month after arrivng in Atlanta. The big move was the Charlie Culberson trade where the Dodgers brought back outfielder Matt Kemp.