3 manager candidates the San Diego Padres should avoid like the plague

3) Gabe Kapler

While Showalter was against listening to what the front office had to say, Gabe Kapler is a guy who manages by the numbers. Sometimes to a fault. In fact, it's not so far off to say he only manages by the numbers.

Kapler is all in on analytics which has its benefits for sure, but it'd get old really quickly. Having numbers to back decisions up is a great thing, but sometimes you need to manage with your eyes.

In addition to his managerial style having its issues, Kapler has been extremely mediocre in his six seasons in the dugout. His record of 456-411 is quite good, but the Giants won 107 games in 2021 and finished 52 games over .500. In the other five seasons he's managed, his teams have combined to finish seven games under .500. In the four full seasons he's managed outside of the 107-win season (excluding 2020), Kapler's teams have ranged from 78 wins to 81 wins each year.

He's done enough to have his teams be mediocre, but with the exception of the Giants' random explosion in 2021, his teams have been average to below-average. And in that great year the Giants didn't even win a playoff series. There's a reason he's been fired twice in the last six years. The Padres would be wise staying away.