Can you even believe this? The San Francisco Giants ended their 2026 season with only TWO players still on the 26-man roster who were there on Opening Day. Seriously, just two. This isn’t just some rough patch, folks; this was a complete collapse, ending with the club barely limping past the Rockies in the standings for their worst finish since 2017’s 98-loss nightmare. Two years into Buster Posey’s time in the front office, the Giants are arguably in a worse spot than before he took over.
Vitello’s Rocky Ride and a Front Office Gamble
Buster Posey sure isn’t afraid to go unconventional, is he? Last offseason, the Giants brought in rookie manager Tony Vitello straight from the University of Tennessee, making him the first manager to jump from college ball to MLB without any prior professional playing or coaching experience. It was a huge risk, and man, did it blow up in their face. Vitello’s first season was, well, rocky. He made headlines for all the wrong reasons early on, from his “fire and brimstone” speech before Opening Day to letting old college grudges mess with his relationships with umpires. He even questioned his team’s effort in May. While fans might like to hear that when the team struggles, veteran players will definitely take offense. Vitello himself admitted, “I think everyone deep down felt we’re gonna take the world by storm. And when we didn’t right out of the chute, it put everybody on their heels, and I’d be guilty of that too.”
Injuries, Sell-Offs, and a Win-Now Trap
The season’s disaster wasn’t just on Vitello, though. Injuries absolutely decimated the roster. We’re talking 17 players on the 60-day injured list , 17! No team has the depth to cover that kind of catastrophe. Between all those injuries and the trade deadline sell-off, the Giants were essentially running out a lineup that looked more like a Triple-A squad by the end. The irony? Their roster construction and contract situation almost force them to be a “win-now” team, loaded with highly paid veterans on long-term deals who won’t be the same players after a rebuild. The silver lining, if you can find one, is that the Giants do have some solid young talent, and the third wild-card spot makes contention not feel totally out of reach.
So, what’s next for Posey and this mess of a team heading into 2027? They’ve got a lot to figure out in the offseason. The biggest question has to be whether rookie manager Tony Vitello can actually improve in Year 2. Can he fix those questionable on-field calls and get his veteran players on board? We’ll be watching to see if Posey’s bold gamble on Vitello somehow pays off, or if 2027 starts looking just like 2026.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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