Giants predicted to sign $350M World Series champion, forcing Tony Vitello in early dilemma

The San Francisco Giants made a surprising move by hiring former Tennessee Volunteer Tony Vitello. The team is looking for a winner, and that is exactly what they are getting with Vitello. During the interview process, Vitello gave Buster Posey plenty of insights into his approach.

“Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball,” Posey said.

The Giants could also make a splash in free agency. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has them projected as a potential landing spot for Kyle Tucker.

“Tucker started his first season with the Cubs on a tear, hitting 17 home runs with 52 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .931 OPS through June. A right-hand fracture might have contributed to Tucker’s step back offensively in July and August, but he remains the best and most well-rounded player on the free-agent market this winter, having been worth at least 4.0 fWAR in every year since 2021,” Feinsand wrote.

Adding Tucker would be a huge boost, but it could create a dilemma. Vitello is Drew Gilbert’s former coach, and Gilbert plays right field. Bringing in Tucker could force Vitello to make an early decision.

“There will be plenty of time to sift through all of the fallout from this decision once it truly becomes official, but it seems very likely that Drew Gilbert will have a place on the Giants next season with Vitello as the manager,” Around the Foghorn’s Nick San Miguel wrote.

This presents an interesting situation. Bringing in Tucker would be huge for the Giants, but unless Gilbert moves to center field, he may become the odd man out. The only other option would be for Vitello to find a way to force Gilbert into the lineup somewhere. It would certainly be interesting to watch if that scenario comes to fruition.

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