There is no winner of Rafael Devers-Tony Vitello SF Giants debacle

Rafael Devers publicly challenged Tony Vitello's decision to replace him with Jonah Cox as the pinch runner in the top of the ninth inning of Sunday's game. Rather than attempt to hold Devers accountable, Vitello has no plans to address the incident, highlighting that neither person is coming out ahead in this SF Giants debacle.

Vitello made the right call on the field. Some manager moves are open for debate, but this one was a textbook move. Devers worked a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth inning of a one-run game against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. He was lifted for Cox, who is one of the team's fastest runners.

I know there was a lot made about Cox not attempting to steal second base. He was only on base for a handful of pitchers, and there is a chance that he just did not get a good read on the pitcher. There is no sense in attempting to steal a base if the baserunner cannot get a good jump. That first step is often the difference between stealing a base and getting thrown out.

That said, Cox could still have scored on a double to the gap. If was able to steal second base, that would have been ideal. However, the purpose of the move was to get more speed on the bases.

Sunday's incident was an equally bad look for Rafael Devers and SF Giants manager Tony Vitello

Devers openly challenged this decision, waving to the dugout that he did not want to be removed from the game. If this scene sounds familiar, it is reminiscent of the scene in Major League 2, when Roger Dorn did not want to be removed from the game after being hit by a pitch. If you recall, in that same scene, manager Jake Taylor sternly called Dorn's name and pointed to the dugout.

No player should be able to do that publicly, especially one who is underperforming as much as Devers. He added more fuel to the situation by seemingly screaming into his helmet as he left the field. It was a poor look for Devers.

It was also a poor response from Vitello. He told Shayna Rubin of The San Francisco Chronicle that he has no plans to discuss the incident with Devers. This is just not an acceptable response from a major league manager.

A player challenged his authority on the field, and if he does nothing to address it, it signals to the team that they can be disrespectful without reprimand. That is not how a successful manager manages his players.

Admittedly, it is a tough spot. Sure, Vitello probably does not have the ability to punish Devers for his act of insurbination. However, he does need to address a problem when it emerges, and there is seemingly more to the issue than what is on the surface.

This incident could be read as a sign that the players simply do not respect the first-time manager, who had no experience as a pro before the hiring. That trait is going to follow him until he finds a way to shake it by having success, both in the locker room and in the field.

This Devers incident was an opportunity for him to command respect from his players and show that he runs the clubhouse. Instead, he responded with, "I'm good." That is just a brutal look after that incident. The Giants lost the game on Sunday, but they lost more than just the game. Following an abysmal start in his first season, it is getting harder and harder to envision Vitello recovering from this.

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