Tony Vitello gives hilarious reason for taking SF Giants job

On Friday morning, Tony Vitello met with reporters to discuss his reason for leaving the University of Tennessee, and the reason might make you laugh. He told Mike Wilson of Knoxville News Sentinel that he accepted a position to babysit SF Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert.

Tony Vitello gives hilarious reason for taking SF Giants job

The Giants interviewed a handful of candidates during this process. Early on, former backstop Nick Hundley was viewed as a frontrunner for the job.

Hundley and Buster Posey were teammates with the Giants in 2017 and 2018. Hundley took home the Willie Mac Award in 2017 and returned to the ceremony in 2025. That was viewed by many as a sign that he was interested in the managerial position, even though it was still held by Bob Melvin at the time.

Of course, the Giants parted ways with Melvin as soon as the season concluded. While he will not be with the team in 2026, the Giants will still have to pay out his $4 million team option for next season.

Along with Hundley, the Giants interviewed Kurt Suzuki, Brandon Hyde, Craig Albernaz, and Vance Wilson. The Giants' candidate pool was heavy on former catchers, but ultimately, the Giants went with someone had a lot of success coaching at the college ranks.

During his eight seasons as Tennessee's head coach, he oversaw 56 players selected in the MLB draft. This includes 10 first-round picks and seven second-round picks.

Drew Gilbert was among those first-round picks. The Houston Astros originally drafted Gilbert in 2022 and shipped him to the New York Mets at the 2023 trade deadline that sent Justin Verlander back to Houston. Two years later, the speedy outfielder was traded again. This time, he was acquired by the Giants in a deal that may have helped pave the way for Vitello to take over as manager.

Of course, Gilbert debuted with the Giants in August, and had some memorable moments during his rookie campaign. Overall, he posted a .598 OPS with three home runs and 13 RBI in 109 plate appearances, but he was a quality defender in the outfield.

Perhaps, the 25-year-old's most memorable moments were some of his bizarre dugout celebrations. That type of energy is fun and infectious. Gilbert has a strong connection to Vitello. They both carry a lot of energy on the field. Vitello will need to do more than just babysit Gilbert, but it was a fun way to explain why he made the move.