SAN FRANCISCO–Five weeks have passed since the Giants dismissed general manager Bobby Evans and the franchise has given no hints that it’s close to hiring his replacement.

In fact, even small details about the mechanics of the search are being kept under wraps.

The Giants’ search for their next head of baseball operations began in earnest in late September, but CEO Larry Baer insisted the organization’s leaders would not feel pressure to have a quick trigger in the hiring process.

At this point, it appears wise that Baer refused to make any guarantees about when the Giants needed to have Evans’ successor in place because the hiring process has been anything but rapid. If Baer indicated the Giants had a strong preference to complete the hire before next week’s general manager meetings, there might be more of a sense of panic among the team’s fan base than what exists right now.

Still, as the days add up and the search rolls along, concern among fans is slowly beginning to mount. Some have expressed confusion, anxiousness and general curiosity about a decision that has the potential to shape the direction of the franchise for the next decade or longer, but any unease is probably healthy.

Fans are entitled to be skeptical of decision-makers like Baer and vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean, specifically because the Giants don’t do external searches for leadership positions. Evans was promoted to his role as general manager from within, and so was Sabean, who took over for Bob Quinn after the 1996 season.

Giants executives have tapped into their networks recently to adjust Bruce Bochy’s coaching staff, but those hires don’t carry the same weight that this one does.

After back-to-back losing seasons, Baer and Sabean certainly understand how critical it is to shift the Giants’ front office approach and style of thinking, but settling on a new direction and a new visionary (or two) is taking time. On Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that a source said the “team’s search is nowhere at the moment,” indicating the Giants may not have the type of clarity they were hoping for in early November.

Still, a slow search won’t necessarily preclude the club from ultimately making a strong hire.

After the Mets completed the very public process of hiring agent Brodie Van Wagenen as their next general manager, the Giants are still left with plenty of available candidates boasting impressive résumés. In the last week alone, San Francisco has been tied to Major League Baseball’s vice president of baseball operations Kim Ng, Tampa Bay Rays vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi.

Zaidi was one of the candidates we outlined at the beginning of the search who fits the mold of what the Giants are looking for in their next executive. The Berkeley grad has experience working for two forward-thinking organizations in Oakland and Los Angeles and has juggled a massive payroll in a major market. Zaidi’s detractors are quick to note the Dodgers have lost consecutive World Series in part due to their significant trust in analytics, but Los Angeles’ roster was so deep that most of its bench players would have been middle-of-the-order hitters for the Giants this year.

At the Dodgers’ end of season press conference, Zaidi was asked about his interest in a position with the Giants’ front office, but declined to comment. It’s wise not to read too much into the situation, but declining to comment is different than shutting down the possibility of a change of scenery altogether.

The Giants’ interest in Zaidi was initially reported by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, who noted the club may actually be looking to hire multiple front office executives. At the beginning of the search, Baer expressed a desire to hire an executive who would fill out the baseball operations department with a team of trusted colleagues and finding a vice president of baseball operations and a general manager to serve beneath that executive is consistent with that mission. Related Articles SF Giants think Mike Yastrzemski is nearing return to play

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The SF Giants’ bullpen looks ready for the postseason. The rotation remains a major question.

Could Zaidi return north to serve as general manager under a president of baseball operations like Ng or Bloom? It’s entirely possible, but it’s also conceivable that Zaidi wants the top position and the power to assemble a staff after working under Andrew Friedman in Los Angeles. Perhaps Bloom or Ng would be willing to work under Zaidi, too.

While the search remains ongoing, it doesn’t appear the Giants are still considering a vast group of candidates. Baer and Sabean hinted at the beginning of the process they wanted an established presence who brings experience on both the baseball side (scouting, development, etc.) and the business side (contract negotiation, roster construction, etc.) and that severely limits the pool they can draw from.

Chicago Cubs vice president of player development Jason McLeod, Arizona Diamondbacks assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye and Houston Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias likely remain in consideration for a top job with the Giants, but it doesn’t appear as if many other executives are still in play.

Though the hiring process may be “nowhere at the moment,” it has the potential to pick up speed in a hurry as the Giants will soon confront the reality of entering next week’s general manager meetings without a permanent general manager to join peers around the game.

Roster move

The Giants announced Friday that right-handed relief pitcher Pierce Johnson cleared waivers and will become a minor league free agent. Johnson posted a 5.56 ERA in his rookie season with San Francisco as he struggled with significant command issues.

The club’s 40-man roster now includes 35 players.