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Baseball is back, and the Giants open spring training this week with a new manager, several new players, and the same goal as always: reach the playoffs.
Winning a division title is always a stretch with the Dodgers in the mix, but Giants fans would rejoice over a wild-card berth. One winning record in nine years doesn’t cut it, and fans are hungry for the franchise to finally turn it around.
Because of the upcoming World Baseball Classic, training camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, is opening earlier than usual — Tuesday for pitchers and catchers, Sunday for the full squad — and the season begins March 25, with the Giants hosting the Yankees at Oracle Park.
Here are some thoughts, opinions, and projections from baseball reporter John Shea and sports editor Kerry Crowley heading into camp.
3 days ago
6 days ago
Friday, Jan. 30
Crowley: John, after a fourth consecutive season without a playoff berth, the Giants started the offseason with a shakeup. Buster Posey’s decision to fire Bob Melvin and hire Tony Vitello out of the college ranks stunned the league. What will you be watching most closely when Vitello opens his first spring with the club?
Shea: Everything. His mannerisms. His body language. His expressions. His discussions in groups. His discussions with individuals. How he works with his coaches. How his players react to him — especially how his players react to him. How he answers reporters’ questions. Whether he’ll offer specifics, which fans/readers prefer, or speak in general terms. He’s not in Knoxville anymore. These aren’t teenagers or early-twentysomethings. These are accomplished professionals who are accustomed to preparing for a season a certain way. I highly respected Bob Melvin but am looking forward to the uniqueness of Tony Vitello to see how it plays at this level. In college, his energy sometimes went over the top (relative to big-league standards), and we’ll see how he adapts. He’s the 16th manager I’m covering in my time as a baseball writer. All have been different, but no one until now came directly off a college campus. I imagine he’ll be my first headline when camp opens, right Kerry?
Crowley: Considering how different this camp could look, Vitello might be the headliner every other day this spring. Many Giants fans are enthralled with the swagger of Vitello’s Tennessee teams, but as you’ve noted, the transition from a 60-game season to a 162-game schedule will test the rookie manager in ways he can’t anticipate. When Vitello was hired, he hinted at opening up competitions during spring training, but Posey has filled out the rotation by signing Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser, patched up the outfield by bringing in Harrison Bader, and seemingly pushed Casey Schmitt to a bench role by signing Luis Arráez to play second base. So where are the moving pieces on this roster? To me, it seems like the bullpen, the bench, and a decision on where top prospect Bryce Eldridge will start the season are the obvious places to start.
Shea: Good calls. The bullpen is a massive concern. Remember, they did nothing to beef it up before last season, and depth became a problem after Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers got traded and Randy Rodríguez required Tommy John surgery, which will shelve him for all of 2026. This offseason, no closer was acquired, so it’s really Ryan Walker or bust, which is bothersome considering he’s coming off a hit-and-miss season. You know who could eventually develop into an effective closer? Hayden Birdsong. Don’t laugh, Kerry. He could be dominant in that role. Problem is, he had trouble throwing strikes last year and is needed as the possible No. 6 starter, the first man up after a rotation injury. You mentioned Eldridge. Let’s talk. What do you think is the perfect landing spot for this elite prospect who crushes the ball but also swings and misses a lot? I say throw him in the opening-day lineup and see what he can do. They need him.
Crowley: First off, I love the idea of Birdsong closing. Of all the young pitchers on the Giants’ 40-man roster, he has the most raw talent and could thrive in a role in which he can focus on using his fastball and just one or two of the three off-speed pitches he relies on in the rotation. As for Eldridge, the Giants created some flexibility when they signed Arráez. If Eldridge has a terrible spring, the Giants could send him to Triple-A, use Schmitt at second base, and then have Arráez play as the DH while Rafael Devers handles first base. I don’t think Eldridge will have a terrible spring. Yes, he’ll strike out, but the additions of Bader and Arráez allow the Giants to move Eldridge down in the order and have him open the season as a No. 7 or No. 8 hitter. Once he’s comfortable, they can move Eldridge up in the lineup. The 21-year-old slugger might be the biggest X factor on this team, but there are others worth watching. John, if the Giants hope to make a run at a playoff berth, which under-the-radar players could play a key role?
Bryce Eldridge made his MLB debut with the Giants in September. | Source: Norm Hall/Getty Images
Shea: A playoff run won’t be easy. Then again, this is an organization that bucked the odds and won three championships in five years and stunned the baseball world with 107 wins a few years back. What did those clubs have in common? An entire roster contributing, plus young’uns showing up from the minors and pitching in. So let’s go way under the radar and introduce outfielder Bo Davidson and corner infielder Parks Harber, who could hit their way into prime time sooner rather than later. Neither was drafted. The Giants signed Davidson for $50,000 and acquired Harber in the Doval trade. Both have a minor-league OPS north of .900 and received nonroster invites to training camp, and I assume you are, like I am, eager to see them swing away. You mentioned a playoff run. In your world, what’s this team’s realistic path to October as one of the National League’s top six teams? The Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Padres, and Brewers are all pretty good.
Crowley: The realistic path to October requires a combination of the Giants outperforming projections, making smart in-season acquisitions, and benefiting from another team or two failing to live up to expectations. The Giants aren’t in the same class as the Dodgers, Cubs, or Mets, but if their best players — especially Devers and Logan Webb — keep producing at elite levels and most veterans stay healthy, they’ll remain in the wild-card mix with the others. Posey is betting that a new manager and assistant coaches can have a similar effect to the one Gabe Kapler and his analytically driven staff did in 2021, which doesn’t seem realistic. This team won’t win 107, but maybe 87 is enough to be relevant in October.
Shea: That would do it. Hey, the Reds got in last year with just 83 wins. Posey pulled off a gem of a trade in June, snagging Devers from Boston, and maybe will do it again. For now, he says he likes the additions he made to the roster with Houser and Mahle in the rotation, Sam Hentges, Jason Foley, and Reiver Sanmartin in the bullpen, and Bader and Arráez in the lineup. With Posey’s track record, there’s no reason not to trust him, but he made a risky hire with Vitello and added no elite players. There’s no doubting the value of Webb, Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman, but pitching and defense is the mantra, and the jury is out on whether the Giants upgraded from 81-81. The outfield defense should improve with Bader in center and Jung Hoo Lee moving to right. Ultimately, this could be one of those greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts Giants teams, and that might work out well.