Dusty Baker returns to San Francisco Giants as special advisor to baseball operations

Dusty Baker is returning to the San Francisco Giants as a special advisor to baseball operations, the team announced on Thursday.

"I've enjoyed my stops at various places, but I'm happy to be back home," Baker said in a team release. "I look forward to providing guidance to the organization and helping the Giants get back to the top in a very tough division."

The 74-year-old Baker announced his retirement from managing after guiding the Houston Astros to the 2023 ALCS. That ended a 26-season career in the dugout that saw Baker win the World Series, reach two others, become the first manager in MLB history to lead five different teams to division titles, become the ninth manager to win both the AL and NL pennants, win three NL Manager of the Year awards, and record 2,183 wins in 4,046 games.

Baker's MLB managing career began with the Giants in 1993 where he led them to two NL West titles, three postseason berths, and helped them reach the 2002 World Series.

This will be Baker's third stint with the Giants as he was a special adviser to team CEO Larry Baer from 2018-19 — between his time managing the Washington Nationals and Astros. According to the team, his duties will be similar with a hand on both the business and baseball side.

"I was fortunate enough to get to know Dusty when we overlapped in the organization in 2019, and I'm excited to get to work with him again," Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in a statement. "We've had a chance to meet in person and discuss our shared vision of bringing championship baseball back to San Francisco. I learn something new in every interaction with him and look forward to leaning on his experience and perspective on the game."

Baker also managed the Chicago Cubs (2003-06) and Cincinnati Reds (2008-13) and is seventh all-time among managers in wins. Prior to becoming a coach, he played 19 MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Giants, and Oakland A's.