The San Francisco Giants made a massive move this offseason that included something that has never happened before. The Giants hired Tennessee’s Tony Vitello — someone with no prior MLB experience — to be their manager. It was an aggressive decision that has everyone curious to see how it plays out.
“After days of negotiations, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello has been named the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, the team announced Wednesday, marking the first time a big league team has hired a manager directly from a college program without any experience as a professional coach. Vitello — who considered staying at Tennessee, where he won the Men’s College World Series in 2024 — replaces Bob Melvin,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Passan wrote.
Not only was Vitello brought in as the Giants’ next manager, but he also did so on a significant contract.
“Vitello almost certainly will not be paid as an entry-level hire. He is the second-highest-paid coach in Division I with an annual salary of more than $3 million, and he is leaving the comfort of his fiefdom for a job that offers anything but stability. Vitello was already making more than half the managers in the major leagues; given the cost of living in San Francisco and what he’d be leaving behind, it’s not impossible to believe that he will command one of the top salaries among his new cohort,” The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly wrote.
The Giants still need another starter, and after missing out on Framber Valdez, they could look to trade for Sandy Alcantara.
“Alcántara was quite poor last season overall, finishing with a 5.36 ERA across 31 starts. His ability to pitch 174.2 innings after elbow surgery was promising, however, and he comes on an affordable $17.3 million expiring contract (with a $21 million club option for 2027). Less than four years removed from winning the NL Cy Young award, Alcántara offers tantalizing upside if he can rediscover his past form,” FanSided’s Christopher Kline wrote.
The Giants are hoping to put together a strong season with the talent currently on their roster and make a playoff push in the jam-packed NL West. It will come down to depth and availability, but the new era in San Francisco already has fans buzzing.
Landing a pitcher like Alcantara would be huge if he can return to his pre-injury form. Ultimately, it will depend on how he feels after a full offseason without having to rehab the injury.
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