5 obvious candidates to take over as SF Giants manager if Tony Vitello gets canned

When a team is having as bad a season as the SF Giants are, it’s only natural to start wondering about the job security of the manager. While Tony Vitello does not deserve all the blame for this dumpster fire of a season, changes will be made if things do not improve and he could end up not even making it through one full season as a big league manager.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic already mused that Vitello may not even make it to the end of 2026 so it’s worth taking a look at the options the Giants have to fill in as interim manager if president of baseball operations Buster Posey decides it is time to pull the plug.

5 guys who could step into manager role if Giants fire Vitello

Ron Wotus

Even though Wotus “retired” back in 2021 he has still always hung around the Giants. He is still a presence in the dugout during home games and was called upon to be the team’s interim third base coach after Hector Borg was demoted.

He has never been a big league manager and if anyone deserves a chance to fill that role for the Giants it is Wotus given the decades of dedicated service he has provided to the organization.

Ron Washington

While Ron Washington deserves some sort of medal for the work he’s done to make Luis Arraez a Gold Glove contender at second base and Rafael Devers look serviceable at first base, he too could be the skipper if needed.

He was the manager of the Texas Rangers for years and was the manager of the Los Angeles Angels last year before health issues forced him to step down.

He’s easily one of the most respected people in San Francisco's dugout so he’d be a natural fit.

Jayce Tingler

After Vitello was hired by the Giants, Jayce Tingler became an obvious favorite to be the team’s bench coach. He and Vitello have known each other for a long time dating back to their playing days at Mizzou. Tingler was also the manager of the San Diego Padres so he seemed like a perfect fit to help Vitello navigate this new role.

If the Giants get rid of Vitello though, replacing him with a guy who is only there because of Vitello wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense so he may not be the likeliest option.

Dusty Baker

While Dusty Baker retired from managing a few years ago after finally winning a World Series as manager of the Houston Astros, he is still involved with the Giants as a special adviser. He’s a legend in the game so if the Giants want a guy who is among the best managers the game has ever seen then Baker would be a pretty good choice.

Bruce Bochy

Of course, if the Giants wanted to go the nostalgia route then bringing back Bruce Bochy would be the most obvious solution of all. There were rumors in the offseason that Bochy could return to manage the Giants but ultimately he became a special adviser to the front office just like Baker.

It wouldn’t be the worst way to sell some extra tickets towards the end of a meaningless season. “Hey, come see Bruce Bochy wear a Giants uniform and manage the team just like he did the last time the team won anything,” isn’t a bad marketing slogan although both he and Baker are probably content to stay out of the dugout at their respective ages.

Wotus or Washington would probably be the likeliest choices to replace Vitello although things would probably have to get really bad before the Giants fired him. If he’s completely lost the team and it’s clear none of the players respect him then a move could be made but the Giants may just try to ride it out with him until the end of the season and then reassess things.

But if the wheels completely come off and the car explodes then expect one of these five names to take over.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow