Scottsdale, Ariz. - Tony Vitello's Big Day Draws Near
The Giants wrapped up spring training in style with a 10-7 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, finishing with a 19-9 record, second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Cactus League. Now, Tony Vitello stands on the brink of his first regular-season game as a professional manager. Just three exhibition games remain-one against the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats and two against the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League.
Reflecting on his first spring training, Vitello shared, “When you come out here, it’s a party. The weather’s great-it got a little hot-but these games are a lot of fun.
You get to see future stars and some of the best players in the league. Next time, I’ll focus on getting more sleep during non-baseball hours, but the baseball part was a blast.”
Vitello, the Giants' 40th manager, experienced his first-ever spring training, navigating the six-week stint in the desert with a fresh perspective. He expressed satisfaction with the overall experience, highlighting areas for improvement next time around. He praised catching coach Alex Burg and bench coach Jayce Tingler for their meticulous planning and execution.
“They worked really well together,” Vitello noted. “The attention to detail was at an all-time high with those two.
Burgy’s first year doing this, and with Jayce, I knew exactly what I was getting into. I like to be involved, but it’s nice when pressure is lifted, and those two did just that.”
As the Giants leave Arizona, key roster decisions loom. The team’s choice to option top prospect Bryce Eldridge to Triple-A Sacramento clears the way for Luis Matos and Jerar Encarnacion to potentially make the Opening Day roster. However, Jared Oliva’s impressive spring performance keeps him in the mix.
Oliva, 30, capped off an excellent spring by going 2 for 3 with a three-run homer against the Guardians. His .375/.444/.550 slash line and league-leading 14 steals in 15 attempts have turned heads.
Despite Oliva's standout performance, the Giants might favor Encarnacion and Matos due to their lack of options. Still, Oliva’s elite basestealing - 57 swipes on 63 attempts in Triple-A last season - could see him in San Francisco at some point.
“He’s made a great impression,” Vitello said. “That swing was nice to see, but you’ve got to look at the bigger picture.
Some days are great, and some aren’t. His basestealing threat is undeniable.”
The Giants’ bullpen decisions are still up in the air. Trevor McDonald, who started strong in Cactus League play, has struggled recently. After six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in his first outings, McDonald allowed nine runs over his last 5 2/3 innings.
“The good and the bad, you’ve got to let the sample size play out,” Vitello explained. “Spring training isn’t always the best sample size.
Everyone’s offseason tells part of the story, too. His overall work was solid, even if today wasn’t ideal.
When things don’t go your way, you need to find a way to weather the storm.”