SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants hoped to hit the ground running after making the bold decision to hire manager Tony Vitello out of the University of Tennessee last October. Instead, they never really found their stride in 2026.
Hampered by an inconsistent offense, a leaky bullpen and a cascade of injuries, the Giants quickly sank in the standings and ultimately finished out of the playoff picture for the ninth time in the last 10 years. They never won four straight games in Vitello’s first year at the helm, culminating in a disastrous 97-loss season that will go down as one of the worst in the San Francisco era.
The substandard results will undoubtedly lead to a winter of introspection for Vitello, president of baseball operations Buster Posey and general manager Zack Minasian. The trio met with reporters at Oracle Park on Tuesday to share their thoughts on what went wrong this year and what they hope to improve on heading into 2027.
“We were not able to get any momentum throughout the year,” Posey said. “I think the easy thing to point to is we walked too many guys when we were pitching, and then we weren't drawing enough walks when we were hitting.”
Here are three other takeaways from the 38-minute press conference:
1. Vote of confidence for Vitello
The Giants defied convention by hiring the 47-year-old Vitello, who had no experience working in professional baseball before coming in to replace Bob Melvin last year. The Giants hoped Vitello’s fiery energy would help them play with a competitive edge, but that massive gamble has not paid off thus far. Vitello was arguably too deferential to underperforming veterans like Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman and Willy Adames at the beginning of the year, experienced major hiccups while attempting to run a big league bullpen for the first time and struggled to develop a rapport with umpires, who ejected him an MLB-high seven times this year.
2. Latest on Bader
The Giants released a page-long medical report on Tuesday that included their first update on outfielder Harrison Bader in nearly two months.
Bader, whose pay was suspended on July 31 after he was involved in a scooter accident in San Francisco’s Marina District, is in the midst of his running and baseball progressions, and he is expected to be fully ready by Spring Training, per the club.
The Giants signed Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million deal in January to bolster their defense in center field, but he batted a paltry .170 over 30 games before landing on the injured list with left plantar fasciitis at the end of May. The 32-year-old veteran didn’t end up playing for the rest of the year, as he suffered a bizarre setback when he reportedly crashed his scooter into a fire engine and further damaged his left foot.
The Giants are still investigating the circumstances of the crash, creating some uncertainty about Bader’s future with the organization.
“As far as getting the details of the investigation, that's not something that we can discuss,” Posey said. “There's ongoing conversations between the Commissioner's Office and the Players Association. I think everybody, including Harrison, is disappointed about how this thing unfolded. Right now, he's under contract for next season.”
3. Help for the ‘pen
The Giants have room to improve in virtually all areas of their roster, but Posey said bolstering the bullpen will be a particular emphasis for the organization this offseason.
San Francisco’s relievers finished 19th in the Majors in ERA (4.14) and had 27 blown saves this year. Twelve pitchers recorded a save for the Giants in 2026, though none had more than Caleb Kilian (eight), who was dealt to the Phillies alongside second baseman Luis Arraez at the Trade Deadline.
The Giants reunited with erstwhile closer Camilo Doval last week and will have Randy Rodríguez coming back from Tommy John surgery next season, but they know they’ll need to add more reliable arms this winter.
“The bullpen struggled this year, and I'll take the blame for that,” Posey said. “That’s something that we probably overestimated some of the guys that we had in the ‘pen. That's something that we're going to do our best to try to address this offseason.”