Giants Talk: A San Francisco Giants Podcast What Tony Vitello learned in first season as San Francisco manager
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Oct 5, 2026 
Tony Vitello, the Giants’ manager and former Tennessee coach who built a national powerhouse, reflects on his challenging first MLB season. He discusses carrying over the team’s second-half energy, rethinking veteran reliance and bullpen usage, and embracing accountability. Cole Kuiper and Alex Pavlovic also examine playoff takeaways, arbitration decisions, bullpen depth, roster flexibility, and San Francisco’s path forward.
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Off-Days Are Reshaping Playoff Pitching
- Off-days let teams stretch relievers and reduce the value of deep starting rotations in short playoff series.
- Alex Pavlovic argued the schedule changes strategy by making tomorrow effectively two days away.
October Exposes Thin Bullpens
- Modern postseason teams can survive without four traditional starters by aggressively mixing bullpen games and multi-inning relief.
- The Giants’ current bullpen depth may be adequate for the regular season but remains too thin for October.
Add Affordable Arms To Fix The Bullpen
- Keep Sam Coonrod and Jason Foley at modest arbitration prices while adding as many credible relief options as possible.
- Shoulder recoveries can improve with time, making affordable fliers worthwhile despite uneven results.