Giants reward Bruce Bochy, Brian Sabean with extensions

After three World Series titles in five years, the San Francisco Giants are rewarding general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy.

The Giants announced Friday that Sabean has been promoted to executive vice president of baseball operations and will be replaced as general manager by Bobby Evans, who also assumed a senior vice president role with the team.

Bochy and Sabean also received contract extensions through the 2019 season. In addition, Jeremy Shelley was named vice president and assistant general manager of pro scouting and player evaluation. He joins John Barr and Dick Tidrow as assistant general managers.

"Brian and Bruce form the foundation on which all three championship teams have been built," Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said Friday. "The strength and stability of Giants baseball is a direct reflection of the strength and stability of the partnership of these two men. My top priority this offseason was to ensure that this partnership and our outstanding baseball organization remain intact for years to come."

Sabean was the longest-tenured general manager in baseball, having held the position for 18 seasons. The Giants have reached the playoffs seven times during that span.

The moves keep the two decision-makers most critical to the Giants' run of success -- Bochy and Sabean -- in the fold while freeing up Sabean to broaden San Francisco's scope in international scouting.

That's an area where the team has been lagging behind, according to Sabean.

"To stay current in today's game, you have to run out internationally at the spur of the moment," Sabean said. "You have to be involved firsthand in developing your own opinions on your own players in your minor league system, including who to trade and who not to trade. What this really does is ensure us going into the future more quality control, more us getting ready potentially for a worldwide draft."

Sabean, the architect of San Francisco's run of championships, will continue to have final say on all trades and free agent moves. But his new position will allow the former GM to be more hands-on in the scouting of international players as well as those already in the United States.

"There's a lot of talent on our team and I think it's time that we do it differently," Sabean said. "In my case it will allow me to look at things a little bit more at my own pace. I won't be married to a day-to-day major league schedule."

The 59-year-old Bochy is entering his ninth season with the Giants, with whom he has a 667-629 record and is 34-14 in the postseason. Prior to that, Bochy had a 951-975 mark over 12 seasons with the Padres.His new deal keeps him under contract for three additional seasons, which is ideal for the 59-year-old skipper, who has guided the Giants to three World Series titles in the past five seasons.

"I couldn't have a better situation," Bochy said. "I am extremely proud to be a part of this great franchise and I look forward to continuing to work with everyone in the organization to build on the success of the last several years."

Even opposing NL West foes have recognized what Bochy means to the Giants' success.

"You know the challenge with beating the Giants? It's Bruce Bochy," Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart told ESPN.com in November. "He's the key to that team. We would need him to be kidnapped and taken away someplace for us to have an opportunity. It can be done. But when you have a guy like that leading a baseball team, it makes it difficult."

Evans has been Sabean's top assistant the past several seasons and has worked with San Francisco in a variety of capacities since 1994. Now he'll be the team's top negotiator and point man in free agency while still answering to Sabean and Baer.

"I'm not sure why they chose to do this in an odd year, but I'm trusting that it was well thought out," Evans said, joking about the Giants' pattern of winning titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

"It's been great to be a part of Brian's teams ... and I look forward to the challenge ahead."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.