Farhan Zaidi’s time running the Giants split opinion in San Francisco, but one of his quieter moves is now paying off in a way that’s hard to ignore.
Undrafted outfielder Turner Hill is in the big leagues after a strong run in Triple-A Sacramento, where he put together a 26-game hitting streak. On the year in the minors, Hill hit .352/.426/.530 with nine home runs, 68 runs batted in and 24 stolen bases. He also struck out 36 times and walked 45 times, a strong fit for a bat built around contact and getting on base.
Hill already picked up his first major league hit on Sunday in a game that otherwise went badly for the Giants. He should have a real runway from here, too. With the Heliot Ramos trade opening up left field, the Giants are set to give that spot plenty of auditions, and Hill looks likely to get his share of chances.
The reason he may be in this position at all traces back to Zaidi. As Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic wrote, “The Giants scout who identified Hill wasn’t an amateur area scout or a pro scout who happened to see him play. It was Farhan Zaidi.”
Baggarly also noted that Zaidi was drawn to Hill because of his low strikeout rate and high on-base percentage, the same type of profile the Giants have often chased in the draft and in trades.
That’s the part of Zaidi’s tenure that still stands out. For all the frustration that came with him by the end, he had a real eye for players other teams overlooked. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski are two examples of guys who became useful, popular Giants after other clubs didn’t put much stock in them.
He also had some sharp trade work on his résumé. His deal sending Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani to the Seattle Mariners for Robbie Ray worked out, and the Giants later turned Ray into two solid prospects from the San Diego Padres.
There were plenty of moves fans disliked, too, from the openers to the constant roster shuffling and heavy use of platoons. But there’s also an argument that the current Giants could use a little more of that margin-level creativity, especially after big swings like signing Willy Adames and trading for Rafael Devers haven’t delivered.
Hill still has a long way to go, but signing him for just $15,000 and watching him reach the majors makes for a pretty striking story. It also serves as a reminder of one of Zaidi’s best traits during his run leading San Francisco’s baseball operations.
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