The San Francisco Giants hired Tony Vitello as their new manager after firing Bob Melvin following another missed playoff season, but the struggles continue.
The Giants moved on from Melvin after last year’s disappointment. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey called the season disappointing when announcing the change.
“After careful evaluation, we determined that making a change in leadership was in the best interest of the team. The last couple of months have been disappointing and frustrating for all of us, and we did not perform up to our standards. We now turn our focus to identifying a new leader to guide us forward.”
So far this season, things haven’t improved under Vitello. As we head deeper into June, San Francisco’s postseason hopes are basically done.
The numbers tell the story. Around the Foghorn’s Nathan Hirschi breaks it down: “Even the most optimistic Giants fan should start coming to grips with the fact that his favorite team might be left out of the postseason for the fifth consecutive year. According to FanGraphs, the Giants have a 2.6% chance of playing baseball in October, the second-lowest odds in the National League.”
That’s where it gets interesting from a roster construction standpoint.
With 90 games left and sitting this far out, the Giants are already looking at trade deadline options. They’re not just talking about moving depth pieces either.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that “the Giants are open to offers for their three highest-paid position players — Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman — among other obvious trade candidates, like Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray.”
Now that’s a franchise-altering conversation.
Devers, Adames, and Chapman represent the core of this roster. They’re also the guys who could bring back the kind of prospect haul that jumpstarts a rebuild. But we’re talking about $646 million in combined contracts across those three players.
No organization wants to move on from that level of investment. But sitting 14 games below .500 with virtually no playoff chances, the Giants might not have much choice.
The question becomes whether they can find teams willing to take on those contracts while still providing meaningful return. Devers and Adames should have plenty of suitors if San Francisco is willing to eat money. Chapman’s a bit trickier given his age and contract, but contenders always need third base help.
What makes this situation different is the timing. Most teams wait until they’re mathematically eliminated before having these conversations. The Giants are getting ahead of it, which suggests they’ve already accepted where this season is heading.
All things considered, it’s probably the right approach. Another lost season means another year of development time wasted for their younger players, and another year closer to free agency for their tradeable assets.
The next month will tell us whether San Francisco is serious about reshaping this roster or if they’ll hold onto hope that somehow turns things around. But with a 2.6% playoff chance, hope might be all they have left.
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