The Giants are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in years, but that is not stopping them from running things back next season. Over the weekend, Buster Posey confirmed that manager Tony Vitello would return in 2027, giving him another chance to prove himself in MLB.
The announcement comes in the midst of a 51-73 season, with the Giants on pace for their worst campaign since 2017. And while the commitment to Vitello might come as a surprise, Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow believes that the team announcing his return is a great thing. Speaking with Markus Boucher and Brian Murphy on KNBR on Monday morning, Krukow revealed his thoughts on Vitello’s confirmed fate for ’27.
“I think it’s appropriate,” Krukow told KNBR. “They kind of threw him into a situation where it was not going to be easy when you have no knowledge of the culture. He never played in professional baseball, he never coached in it. Now, he’s asked to manage at the big league level. Well, that’s a very, very difficult thing to ask a guy. So what this year has become for Tony Vitello is his education. He’s getting education every single day. If you’re around this guy, you realize that he’s a stick his finger in the fan guy once.
“I’ll stick my finger in the fan, but I’m not going to do it a second time. I’m going to learn from what I see, what our failures are, and he’s made some mistakes, but he won’t make those again. And I’m not surprised that Buster [Posey] announced this at all. He deserves to come back. You put a guy in that situation, he deserves to have a year to learn. And now let’s see what you do with what you learned next year. I think that he is more than capable of managing at this level, and I told him that.
“And there’s no doubt in my mind that he can do the job here, but you’re going to see a different guy next year. I think one of the things he’ll improve on is the relationship with the older players. There is such a thing as giving those guys too much respect. I think that every player on every team, I don’t care how many years you’ve been there, you have to earn the respect of your manager and coaching staff by the way you go about your everyday routine, how you play the game. And I think there’s a big part of this team that needs to improve in that regard. And then it trickles on down to younger players … I think announcing that Tony Vitello is coming back next year is a great thing.”
A highly successful college coach — turning the Tennessee Volunteers into a national powerhouse and winning a national championship in 2024 — Vitello was hired by the Giants to change the culture and give the team new energy. But Vitello’s first season in San Francisco arguably has been less about his inexperience as a big league manager, and more about the construction of the roster.
Marred by major issues with the bullpen, most recently blowing a 7-6 lead to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, poor situational hitting, defensive efforts and underperforming stars have plagued the team. Entering the season with postseason aspirations, the Giants have been far below .500 all year long, and after a rough stretch leading up to the deadline, San Francisco found itself as sellers — trading players like Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray for minor league prospects.
But Vitello’s ability to build a team like he did at Tennessee, along with his high energy and passion could make him the type of guy that San Francisco needs. And by keeping him around for 2027, the Giants are showing that they are committed to the process and are ready to do whatever it takes to bring winning baseball back to the City by the Bay.
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast