Winter negotiations intensify for The Giants to keep their three-time Cy Young recipient.

Jared Bloom

•
Giants pressed to retain three-time Cy Young winner over the winter image

TL;DR

  • * San Francisco Giants hired Tony Vitello as their new manager despite his lack of MLB experience.
  • * Vitello previously coached the University of Tennessee, leading them to an NCAA championship in 2024.
  • * The Giants need to address starting rotation, outfield, and second base for the 2026 season.
  • * San Francisco is considering re-signing veteran pitcher Justin Verlander for the 2026 season.

The San Francisco Giants faced a significant issue as the offseason commenced. They needed to decide who would become the club's next manager after the front office dismissed Bob Melvin, who had a year left on his contract. 

However, they were quick to make their decision in hiring Tony Vitello. Although he has no experience in the major leagues, he has served as the head coach for the University of Tennessee since 2018, helping them win an NCAA championship in 2024. 

Now the front office can turn its attention to filling some holes and putting out a better product for the 2026 season. They have some holes in their starting rotation, in the outfield, and could use a stable second baseman. 

Winter negotiations intensify for The Giants to keep their three-time Cy Young recipient.

Plenty of starting pitchers will be available on the open market, making it easy to fill one of these openings. But if they want to fill multiple holes, many of these top names might not be in the club's price range. 

One pitcher who will not cost much over the winter will be Justin Verlander. He is already familiar with the organization, and Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller believes he should be their focus. 

"Verlander might have enough left in the tank for one final ride of his own. If he does plan on pitching one more year, San Francisco better at least try to bring him back, as Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are the only sure things in this 2026 rotation."

The only problem is his age. He will come into the 2026 season at the age of 43, but has not mentioned anything about retiring. He probably still has enough left to conclude his career impressively, and that ought to be in San Francisco.

Additional MLB updates:

Jared Bloom

Jared Bloom is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He graduated from Judson University, and his love for baseball has led him to cover all aspects of MLB.