The San Francisco Giants scored just one run in their opening series of the season against the New York Yankees, all three games ending in a loss. 

First-year manager Tony Vitello is already receiving backlash for his managing and clubhouse skills, or a lack thereof. Vitello is MLB’s first skipper without prior professional managerial experience. 

“Giants lead baseball executive Buster Posey vouched for Vitello, and the early results are already raising significant concerns,” FanSided’s Jake Elman wrote on Monday. “If the organization reaches a point where it must move on from Vitello, Posey must step back and evaluate who makes sense as a viable replacement, rather than taking a risk yet again.” 

The 2026 campaign is just three games into the year, so making a move in the immediate future is highly unlikely. However, Elman noted one former manager who could replace Vitello. 

Giants encouraged to consider former Yankees, Phillies manager 

As mentioned, Posey is probably not in a position to make a change at manager this early in the season. But Joe Girardi, a former Major League catcher who has 14 years of managerial experience with the Florida Marlins, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies, is available. 

“Girardi never had a losing season in 10 years with the Yankees, but he also went 132–141 in parts of three years managing the Phillies,” wrote Elman. “It’s worth noting that Rob Thomson inherited most of the Phillies’ current core following Girardi’s dismissal in June 2022, led that team to an NL pennant, and has won at least 90 games in each of the last three years.” 

During Girardi’s Yankees tenure, the AL East club made four trips to the ALCS, and he helped lead the club to a World Series title in 2009. 

“Posey must ask himself whether Girardi’s strengths, including how he managed the Yankees through the end of the Core Four era, outweigh the negatives — from his overreliance on data to his inability to win in Philadelphia,” Elman added. “Girardi wouldn’t be the splashiest hire, though he’s a savvy baseball mind who can handle a clubhouse.” 

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