DECISIONS DECISIONS: Giants vs. Padres MANAGER OPENING | Mark DeRosa DEEP DIVE | Gold Glove FINALIST

DECISIONS DECISIONS: Giants vs. Padres MANAGER OPENING | Mark DeRosa DEEP DIVE | Gold Glove FINALIST

What’s a more desirable job? The Padres’s manager job or the Giants manager job? A candidate deep dive on Mark D. Rosa and let’s talk about the Giants two gold glove finalists. That’s all coming up on Locked on Giants. [Music] You are Locked on Giants, your daily San Francisco Giants podcast, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. Hello and welcome to Locked On Giants, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, where it’s your team every single day. My name is Alan Styles. On the show, we provide daily episodes Monday through Friday talking about the San Francisco Giants in a way that combines passion, analytics with the eye test, and a little bit of fun. I’m from the Bay Area, but I live in Sacramento now, and I host a show on Sacktown Sports 11:40, the Allen South Show, 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Be sure to check that out, as well as MCing Sacramento Rivercats games. All in all, I’m lucky enough to cover a team I’ve been a fan of all my life. Today we’ll talk about Nick Hunley in particular and the choice that he may have between two teams that he used to play for, the San Diego Padres’s and the San Francisco Giants. Which job, manager job is more attractive? A candidate deep dive on Mark D. Rosa and the two gold glove finalists that the Giants have after this past season. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the app today. So, if you’re Nick Hunley, the Giants, or the Padres’s, with the Padres’s now entering a managerial vacancy following Mike Schilz’s retirement, the landscape just shifted. around the fog horn wrote that San Diego just got a major uh kick in the pants to hire Hunley, noting his ties to the Padres’s as a former player and how that organization might court him. That changes the decision tree significantly. It’s not just Giants verse neutral candidate. Some of these other teams that we’ve talked about, there’s real competition. Let’s break down both sides now that there is a new wrinkle in mind and in the mix. San Francisco Giants, a familiar path and cultural leverage. The pros, trust and alignment. Hunley already has deep connections with Posie as I’ve talked about before and some of you did not like that I talked about before. He was Posy’s backup in 2017 2018. They know each other’s baseball philosophies. And that trust gives Hunley insider access and legitimacy. identity building role. The Giants are reinventing their identity around pitching, defense, and internal development. Hunley could help write that script from day one, crafting his own managerial culture under Posy’s backing. Developmental runway. The Giants aren’t necessarily forced into a must-win scenario. If you look at who they have versus who the Padres’s have, it’s close, don’t get me wrong, but that does give Hunley a little bit of time to grow, make mistakes, and learn. All under less pressure than he’d face in San Diego. Control and influence. because he’d be embedded in the Posie regime. Hundley would potentially wield more influence over roster analytics and staff structure than just being a hired hand. The cons to this internal optics critics might label him as Posy’s friend or see him as an inside hire as somebody like me brought up just to let y’all know. Not to say that that that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve the job and doesn’t legitimately have the chops to do the job. That narrative could undermine early buyin, especially from veterans and the media. Limited margin for errors. The roster still has holes. If the Giants underperform early, the pressure will fall heavily onto Nick Hunley. Expectation mismatch. Fans may demand winning sooner than realistic, especially given external hires like uh the Green Rumors, Hunter Green, guys like that. Now, let’s talk about the San Diego Padres’s. the lure of an established contender. Pros immediate upside in roster scale. San Diego already has high-end talent in the lineup and rotation. Hunley steps into a ready-made contender and isn’t forced to build. The Giants aren’t building from scratch, but I think there would be less to build. Okay. Uh they remain one of the NL West forces. Familiar turf. Hunley spent six plus seasons as a player in San Diego. The organization knows him. The fan base knows him. There’s a sentimental and credibility edge there. More exit options and speed. If his managerial stock rises fast, a successful sit in San Diego could catapult him as a premier young manager across the league. Here are some of the cons. Higher immediate pressure. The Padres’s won’t give much grace. Hunley’s margin for error is narrower there. A political and structural constraints. He may be brought in to execute rather than rebuild limits on influence, especially under a high-profile un ownership structure. Comparisons and expectations. Taking over a team with existing star players, draws instant comparisons to prior successes or failures is a tougher magnet for scrutiny. So, there are a couple different paths that Nick Hunley could take. Obviously, we’ve discussed that he’s the front runner. at least last time we heard he was a front runner at the end of last week going into this week. And now you have the Padres’s entering the mix with the uh retirement of their manager. So he’s got choices now, right? Which side would I choose if I were Nick Hunley? And of course I’m going to be objective with this. Given everything history, philosophy, control, and the new Padres’s development, here’s how I’d lean. I’d still pick San Francisco. And this is why the trust with Posie is a rare commodity that gives Hunley a coach’s seat with access, not just a mic. Building with a roster that’s improving rather than stepping into yearly must-win scenario gives more breathing room to solidify a lasting identity. The Padres’s are tempting, but the risk is higher. If things do go badly, the narrative could brand Hunley as failing in a market that maybe not big, but they have big money and they have big names and that could really damage his name really early on in his career as far as being a manager. With the Padres’s opening, the Giants must act decisively. If SF shows it will move fast and commit, Hunley’s comfort zone becomes more favorable. Now, I will say this. I mean, the last we checked they said it was your essentially your job if you want it. So, I’m not completely sure what else San Francisco could do. I don’t know if this is a money thing, right? I don’t I don’t know if hey, we’ll we’ll offer you more money now that San Diego is available just to show you how much we want you. I think Nick Hley knows that the Giants want him. It’s just a matter of does he want to be a part of this in the same way. So, as far as the Giants and what they’ve been doing, I think it could just come down to uh what exactly he wants. And that’s what we’ve talked about before, what exactly he wants and how they can uh essentially get on the same page. On the other side, let’s discuss a coaching candidate in Mark D. Rosa. A lot of people have been talking about Mark D. Rosa, so let’s talk about him and everything he brings to the table. Don’t move. More lockdown Giants coming up. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. What I love about FanDuel, I love FanDuel because it gives you so many ways to play. I’ve built parlays, tried player props, and even followed the live lines during games. It makes watching football even more exciting when you got a little something riding on the action. Whether you’re a casual fan or love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. So, what are you waiting for? Visit fanuel.com, download the FanDuel app today, and get started. Okay, so let’s get into today’s candidate deep dive. Today is Mark D. Rosa. All right, making the case for Mark D. Rosa as the Giants manager. Who is Mark D. Rosa background and credentials? Mark D. Rosa isn’t a household name yet in current managerial circles, but he has a background that gives compelling elements for a candidate in this moment. D. Rosa played parts of 16 MLB seasons with since at several clubs, including the Giants in 2010 2011. He has uh positional versatility as far as his intelligence is concerned and a reputation for being a strong clubhouse presence. After retiring as a player, he transitioned to media, becoming a visible voice on MLB network, which keeps him in the public eye and allows him to stay sharp in baseball discourse and strategy. More importantly, D. Rosa has already held meaningful managerial experience in the international arena. He has been appointed manager for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and will probably do it again in 2026. The SF standard lists him as an under the radar candidate. They mentioned D. Rosa among Posy’s possible choices, noting his former teammate status and visibility in the candidate pool. Sports Illustrated ranked him among the more visible managerial names, pointing out that he is often mentioned across the list of plausible Giants options. So on paper, D. Rosa offers a blend of playing experience, coaching mindset through his world baseball classic work, and public knowledge of the game. I think he is the first guy that comes off as a hybrid, if you will. He’s got managerial experience, not necessarily in the majors and not even in the minors, but he has managed big names, big egos, uh, and and a lot of conf confident players, if you will. So, I I think that can go handinhand with handling a major league ball club. Let’s talk about why he could be a good fit for the Giants. A relationship and trust with Posie and the Giants DNA. D. Rosa and Posie were teammates. There’s an existing connection and shared history in San Francisco. That kind of familiarity can help with alignment of values, communication style, and buyin from the front office. The Giants search appears oriented toward names with ties to the organization or to Posy’s inner circle. D. Roa fits that narrative better than many outsiders. Managerial leadership and exposure. Leading Team USA in the World Baseball Classic is no small task. dealing with top tier talent, short timelines, high expectations, and tactical preparation. If he can translate that experience to a full season, it’s a very strong proving ground. Because he’s not been managing full-time in Major League Baseball, he brings a fresh lens that can help in bridging old school analytics uh or bridging old school with analytic gaps and avoiding entrenched habits, communication, and analytical balance. Working in media gives Zosa a public-f facing poise and communication skills that are valuable in this current climate that we’re in with social media and things like that. His experience analyzing, discussing, and breaking down games at a high level suggests he can digest analytics and strategy, not just rely on gut calls. And the narrative and optics, D. Rosa, as a hireer sends a message. The Giants are willing to pick someone who hasn’t been mired in previous managerial failures, who has a pedigree uh vision and respect around the league. He’s not a sentimental or nostalgia pick. He is a candidate with upside potentially bridging internal familiarity with outside perspective. So, there are obviously some risks that would come with uh hiring Mark D. Rosa. So, we’re going to break those down right now. D. Rosa isn’t without drawbacks. Here are the challenges he faces as a candidate. Lack of MLB managerial track record. Of course, D. Rosa hasn’t managed a full MLB season before. Big league managing in involves many pressures. Lineup construction, bullpen management, media scrutiny, in-game adjustments, and those skills are untested in him. Transitioning from media and international duty to day-to-day grind could be a steep learning curve and probably will be a steep learning curve. absence from the field and coaching continuity. Because he’s been out of the coaching rotation, D. Rosa might be less attuned to day-to-day practice routines, minor league coordination, and coaching staff dynamics. He’ll need to quickly assemble and command a support staff that complements his gaps, uh, as well as who he wants to be as a manager. Timing and commitments completely different from the World Baseball Classic, right? Some things overlap, but it’s a specific tournament. It’s not a whole season. the longest season out of all the major sports. He would also need commitment from the front office to support him while he acclimates to all of these changes. And of course, the expectation and the patience that he would or would not have. I don’t know how long uh this next manager is going to have as far as a leash. I know Buster Posie wants them to have a very long career here because they’ve had to replace manager after manager pretty often more recently. So, uh, they will have patience if they give if they are given a reason to be patient. how they how he stacks up against other candidates. Obviously, he has a little bit more gravitas and less risk of a true firsttime manager uh and those growing pains, but compared to the veteran ex-managers, he is a bit fresher than them or could be viewed that way, but he does not have the exact manager experience from an MLB uh ball club. His media presence gives him higher visibility, which helps with recruiting, reputation, and external buyin. uh the safer bet could be going with the specific managers that we talked about, but that’s obvious, right? It this is somebody, like I said, I think it’s a hybrid situation and I think the Giants could benefit from having someone that could give you the best of both worlds. He’s new to this specific version of managing, but he does have a past in managing and he’s not completely wet behind the ears and has no clue how to manage different egos, thought processes, types of players. So, he’s not brand new, but he could give a bit of a newer perspective because he hasn’t been coaching for such a long time. He wouldn’t be stuck in any ways, things like that. and he does have, albeit a small one, he does have a connection to the Giants because he played there. So, I I I would put Martoa up there. Again, he’s another guy like Tony Bello. Seems like he’s got a pretty good gig. Not really sure why he would want to leave, but if he is interested in leaving, I think the Giants could be a good spot for him to get started, not have to do a full-on rebuild because if you’re going to leave a really good job, right, same with Tony Vitello. If you’re gonna leave a really good job, you ain’t going to leave a really good job for the Rockies. No disrespect to the Rockies, but you’re not going to do that. You’re gonna leave a really good job for a situation that you think might need a little bit of work, but is also more of a ready-made situation. Look at it like a pizza. Look at it like uh uh my buddy showed me this hack that we’ll do from time to time when we’re making pizza here at the house. You’ll buy a frozen pizza and the bones are there, it’s pepperoni, whatever it is, but then you add stuff to it before you put it in the oven. You add bell peppers, you add garlic, you add, you know, bacon bits, whatever you want, and you are making the frozen pizza a little bit better. Now, you didn’t cook the pizza from scratch, but you made it your own as much as you could. The bones were there, and then you just took it to the next level. That’s what a Tony Vitella or a Mark D. OSA probably would want because you’re going to leave a really good situation that you have to start from scratch. I mean, that’s just not something I would do. One more segment with you. Let’s discuss how the Giants ended up with two Gold Glove finalists and how impressive that was for them to pull off. More Lockdown Giants coming up. This episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. Every day we make decisions, but on Prize Picks, being right can actually get you paid. Don’t miss the excitement of this football season with prize picks, where it’s good to be right. Playing prize picks is so much fun. It’s a simple way to add more excitement to football. You just pick more or less on player projections like Josh Allen’s passing yards or Saquon Barkley rushing for a touchdown and you’re in the game. I love how quick it is. You can make your lineup in under a minute. My favorite part, Prize Pix just added stacks. So, if I want to ride with a player, I can select their pass yards, rush yards, and touchdowns all in one lineup. It’s also fun to follow other players in the app and copy their lineups with one click. And the new injury reboot, I just was able to use that last week when somebody went down. If your player leaves the game early and doesn’t return, it won’t count against you. That was a Mecca Ebuka for the Tampa Bay Bucks. There’s a special max discount promotion live on the board right now for the Golden State Warriors verse Los Angeles Lakers October 21st. Steph Curry is discounted to only needing more than half a point to win. Mix and match players from football, basketball, and baseball to build your dream lineup today. Download the Prize Pix app today. Use code locked on MLB to get $50 in lineups after you pay and play your first $5 lineup. That’s code locked on MLB for $50 in lineups after your first $5 lineup. Price picks. It’s good to be right. So, this is just a shout out to the gold glove nods that uh Logan Webb and Patrick Bailey were able to earn. The Giants didn’t make the playoffs this year, but they still came away with something to hang their hats on. Two gold glove finalists in Patrick Bailey and Logan Webb. And honestly, if you watch this team all season, those two uh make perfect sense as names to uh come up and and be finalists for the gold glove conversation. They represent everything the Giants say they want to be about. defense preparation and pitching excellence. Let’s start with Patrick Bailey because this one’s almost automatic. He is a defensive cornerstone of this team. And a lot of y’all were in the comments yesterday when we talked about the backup catcher position saying, “Why aren’t we talking about Patrick Bailey when I literally told you yesterday’s segment was about the backup catcher, but you said it anyway, but I love you. Thanks for watching and listening to the show.” Bailey finished the season near the top of Major League Baseball in almost every key catching metric. defensive runs saved, framing runs, pop time, and throwing accuracy. According to Stackcast, he was top five in catcher framing runs, and top three in caught stealing percentage. Obviously, we’ll talk about some of that, the catching, framing runs, uh, as ABS gets fired up next season. You can see the difference when he’s behind the plate. Pitchers throw with more confidence. Borderline pitches turn into strikes, and the entire defense seems more locked in. That’s not just the eye test, it’s data. The advanced numbers show that when Bailey catches the Giant staff erra drops nearly half a run. He controls the game. He’s vocal. Brings that same defensive energy Buster Posey used to bring. He also threw out 17 runners this season while ranking near the top of Major League Baseball in preventing extra bases on pass balls and wild pitches. That’s command and focus every single night. So when you see Bailey’s name as a Gold Glove finalist, that’s not a courtesy nod. That’s legitimate respect. and we know why he has that respect. He’s already one of the most complete defensive catchers in the National League. And the scary part, this dude is still in his mid20s. Now, over to uh the more surprising pick, or a lot of you might think it’s a surprising pick with Logan Webb. It really shouldn’t, though. Logan Webb, we know he’s an absolute workhorse. He’s smart, athletic, who feels the position better than just about anyone in the league. This year, Webb led all uh National League pitchers in defensive assists, handled 18 comebackers cleanly, and helped turn three double plays. He’s quick off the mound, controls the running game, and makes all the little plays that keeps innings from unraveling. And here’s a stat that really stands out. Web ranked first in the National League in Saber defensive index among pitchers. That’s the metric that actually matters when it comes to gold glove voting. It means the analytics match the eye test. He also allowed just nine stolen bases all season and caught or picked off seven runners himself. That’s elite control over the base pass from the mound. And it’s a big reason he’s finally getting recognition for something beyond just sinker and innings. You put these two together, Bailey behind the plate, web on the mound, and you’re looking at the defensive backbone of this franchise. And that’s what Buster Posey has been talking to us about all along. He said repeatedly that the Giants identity moving forward needs to be pitching and defense well. These nominations are proof that the identity is starting to take shape. When you have your catcher and your ace both nominated for gold gloves, it’s not just about individual awards. It’s about culture. It tells you that the team is buying into the idea that preventing runs can be just as valuable as producing them. And let’s be honest, that’s what’s been missing in San Francisco lately. A clear, consistent standard. Bailey sets it behind the plate. Web sets it every fifth day. They’re tone setters, leaders, and the kind of players that make everyone else better just by example. And I don’t want what Bailey has done at the play to affect how people think about him in this space. The same way I don’t want uh what happened with Logan Webb later in the season against the Dodgers to affect how people see him in this in this capacity. We got to be able to compartmentalize. These guys are so important to the Giants organization. Like I said, there will be a day to talk about training Patrick Bailey, and that day will come this off seasonason. We will do that exercise. But right now, we are celebrating the fact that they are gold glove finalists. And does everything that they do fix all the issues that the Giants may may have? No. The Giants still need to add offense. They still need to find more consistency in their rotation behind web. But if you’re looking for a foundation, something to really build on, this is it. Having two legitimate gold glove finalists on a team that finished around 500 means that even through the ups and downs, there’s a part of the roster that’s elite. So, yeah, the Giants didn’t play in October this year. But watching Bailey and Webb get national recognition for the things that this organization values most, that’s a little bit of validation that matters heading into an off season of change because if the next manager, whoever it ends up being, can build around those who defensively the Giants already have half the equation solved. So, shout out to those guys uh for uh putting themselves in a really good position and allowing us to watch them play beautiful defense each and every day. I know that there’s a lot more that the Giants have to work on. You’ve heard me on this show during the season. I’ll get on the Giants for sure and I’ll probably get on the Giants again because of some decision they make during the offseason, but there are certain days where you just got to tip your cap, say great job to whoever it may be on that team and their ability to get it done and keep the Giants, I don’t want to say relevant, but keep the Giants at the forefront as far as hey, if you’re a manager, these are building blocks. We know the building blocks that the Braves have. We know the building blocks that the Padres’s have, but these are the building blocks that the that the Giants have, and you can’t sleep on that because I think a lot of people would love uh to be a manager and coach guys like Logan Webb and Patrick Bailey, even with uh the ABS system coming, just dudes that understand the game of baseball and they’re just grinders, right? That that’s what they are at the end of the day. Thank you for watching and listening to Locked on Giants. Be sure to follow me on social media at the_stylesfiles styles with an I. Thank you for making locked on giant your first listen every day. For your second listen, find the allnight locked on MLB game night every game, every night until a World Series champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find MLB game night on locked on MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast. We will talk to you tomorrow. Until then, enjoy your Thursday. Peace.

We start with Nick Hundley’s rising stock and a real decision brewing: Giants or Padres? With San Diego now entering the managerial mix, the competition just got serious — but is the Bay still the smarter long-term play? Then, we shift to Mark DeRosa and why his name deserves to stay in the Giants’ manager conversation. From his leadership with Team USA to his connection with Buster Posey, DeRosa might be the bold hire the front office needs. We also spotlight Logan Webb and Patrick Bailey, the Giants’ two 2025 Gold Glove finalists, and break down exactly how their defensive excellence defines the team’s new identity under Posey’s leadership. Between elite defense, intriguing managerial candidates, and a looming rivalry with San Diego, this episode has everything Giants fans need to stay locked in on what’s next for San Francisco.

0:00 Padres vs. Giants
8:06 Candidate Deep Dive: Mark DeRosa
17:30 Two Gold Glove Finalists

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-san-francisco-giants/

Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB

#SFGiants #FirstListen #Giants #sanfranciscogiants #sanfrancisco #baseball #mlb

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
PrizePicks
Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONMLB to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup.
PrizePicks — Run Your Game.
Click Link Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONMLB

Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONMLB at https://monarchmoney.com/lockedonmlb for 50% off your first year.

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)