SAN FRANCISCO — New Giants manager Tony Vitello has been coy about roster decisions all spring, mostly saying that he wants things to be competitive. But with the Giants getting ready to fly back home, there’s a lot more clarity about what their initial 26-man roster will look like.

With their latest round of cuts, the Giants reassigned outfielder Victor Bericoto, infielder Osleivis Basabe and right-hander Gregory Santos to minor league camp. They’re down to just 40 players in camp, and only five non-roster invitees.

The only non-roster position players left in camp are catcher Eric Haase and outfielder Jared Oliva. The remaining NRI pitchers are Joey Lucchesi, Michael Fulmer and Caleb Kilian. 

Haase has been pushing Daniel Susac for the backup job, but it would be a stunner if the Giants part with a Rule 5 pick, especially because Susac has had a good spring at the plate. Oliva is going to run away with the Cactus League stolen base crown and has 13 in 14 attempts. He’s a fascinating potential bench piece and also a plus defender, although he hits right-handed, and the bench is currently in need of left-handed bats. 

The Giants could end up with an all-right-handed bench if they choose Jerar Encarnacion and Luis Matos as their backup outfielders. Encarnacion appears to be in line to be the DH early in the year after the Giants optioned Bryce Eldridge back to Triple-A, and like Matos, he is out of options. 

Will Brennan and Drew Gilbert are also still in camp and both hit left-handed. Brennan, a versatile player who has plenty of big league experience with Cleveland, has had a good spring, and if minor league options were not at all a consideration, he’d probably be a very strong bet for the roster right now. Gilbert has dealt with shoulder discomfort all March but is returning to the field in one of Friday’s exhibition games. 

Lucchesi, Fulmer and Kilian are all still in the mix for bullpen jobs. The Giants have talked about carrying three lefties and Lucchesi could join Erik Miller and Matt Gage from that side. Fulmer has more experience than anyone left in camp, and that could be valuable early on for a bullpen that’s filled with pre-arb players. Kilian has the best stuff and has consistently hit 99 mph.

Santos was above triple-digits early in camp, but he missed time while on bereavement leave and his command has been iffy since he returned. Given the lack of high-octane stuff in the bullpen, he seems likely to get a shot at some point early in the season. 

Award On The Way Out

It was an up-and-down day for the 24-year-old Bericoto, who got sent back to the minors but also won the Barney Nugent Award, given to the player who performs best in his first big league camp. 

This was an easy call, as Bericoto hit .474 with three homers, taking advantage of a couple of early at-bats and turning into a player that Vitello used on just about a daily basis. While many of the numbers jumped off the page, Bericoto also drew just one walk in 40 plate appearances. He was never a real threat to make the Opening Day roster because he has played just 11 games in Triple-A. 

Trainer’s Room

The Giants announced that center fielder Harrison Bader has a tight left hamstring and is considered day-to-day. The timing is obviously tough, given that the first game is Wednesday, and it could impact what the Giants do with their initial roster. 

They could always move Jung Hoo Lee back to center as needed, but that’s not ideal. Brennan and Gilbert both play center field and Matos got the start there in Friday’s game. 

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