Giants pick up 2014 options, plan to further extend Bochy, Sabean

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NASHVILLE – In a decision plucked straight out of what Giants CEO Larry Baer called “no-brainer land,” the club formally exercised its 2014 contract options on manager Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean.

Baer acknowledged the move was made official a week ago, and added that the parties absolutely would engage in talks about an extension “for 2015 and beyond” some time during the coming year.

“I'm thrilled," Bochy said. "This is what I love to do, and I couldn't be in a better place. With Brian giving me the tools to do what we’ve done these last three years, this appetite only grows.”

Baer called the coach/general manager relationship “the most key in sports – any sport. And so we are very fortunate in that regard.”

“One of the hallmarks of the Giants and a chief reason for their success is their stability together and the working relationship they have,” Baer said. “It’s hand-in-glove connectivity in making decisions and results, I think, speak for themselves.”

Two World Series titles in three seasons tends to do that.

Sabean, who was named Baseball America’s Executive of the Year on Tuesday, is entering his 17th season as the Giants’ head of baseball operations – the longest tenured GM in the major leagues with one club. It’s a high-pressure position that typically has a short half-life and leads to chronic burnout. But Baer said he sees the same fire and hunger in the silver-haired 56-year-old former Yankees scouting director as he did nearly two decades ago.

“He’s surrounded himself with the right people,” Baer said of Sabean, who replaced Bob Quinn after the 1996 season. “Our scouts are really good and we’ve built a homegrown pitching staff with the exception of Barry Zito, which is really hard to do. That doesn’t happen by accident.

“He’s got a solid information base and he commands loyalty from his group. As I’ve become more involved, it’s been gratifying to see how smooth functioning it is.”

Said Bochy: “Brian, I think, is the best GM in the game. He’s passionate about the game, he’s fiery and he cares about the players. He cares about the fans and about winning.

“He’s not just my boss. He’s a good friend and we spend a lot of time together talking about the team and the ways we can win.”

Sabean has heaped just as much praise on Bochy, calling him a shoo-in Hall of Fame manager following the Giants’ sweep over the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Both Baer and Sabean have called the hiring of Bochy following the 2006 season as perhaps the organization’s best decision in the last two decades.

“He’s just so good and so easy to work with,” Baer said. “You respect the thought process and the way the wheels move, which isn’t something you necessarily see when you meet him. That’s because he’s low on ego and high on aptitude. That’s not a combination you get very often, especially in sports.”

Add desire.

Bochy, 57, is entering his seventh season with the Giants and his 19th as a major league manager. Now one of the game’s elder statesmen on the bench, he said he hopes to continue managing for a long time – especially if he is able to continue to work with Sabean.

Sabean is not at baseball’s winter meetings at the Opryland Resort because of a sinus issue; his doctor advised him to stay home. He continues to do business by phone and text, though, and sent a message of gratitude when informed of the Baseball America award.

Bochy has won six NL West titles in his 18 seasons. The Giants have made the playoffs in seven of Sabean’s 17 seasons as GM, winning three NL pennants and two confetti-strewn trips down Market Street.

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