The Giants considered a formal announcement Thursday to name Astros assistant Alonzo Powell their new hitting coach, but decided to wait until next week to allow the San Francisco native to enjoy Friday’s World Series parade in Houston.
Having raided the two World Series organiztions for coaches — Powell from the Astros and bullpen coach Matt Herges from the Dodgers — the Giants will continue to focus on hiring a pitching coach.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ most important player-acquisition period in two decades began Thursday morning when 149 players were declared free agents.
The list includes four Giants: pitcher Matt Cain, who is retiring; third baseman Jae-Hyun Hwang, who is not expected back; outfielder-first baseman Michael Morse, whose Giants comeback ended on Memorial Day when he banged heads with Jeff Samardzija during the Hunter Strickland-Bryce Harper brawl; and catcher Nick Hundley.