SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Posey was as steady as it got during his years in the big leagues, but as the Giants president of baseball operations, he has thus far been wildly unpredictable.
In his first year on the job, Posey handed out the biggest contract in franchise history, made one of the most shocking trades in recent MLB history, and fired a manager he had very publicly committed to just a few months earlier. Even his first move -- taking over at the same time as the organization got rid of Farhan Zaidi -- was a surprise.
But Posey's latest decision might be his biggest swing yet.
Posey has chosen University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as his manager, putting the franchise in the hands of a man who has been remarkably successful at the collegiate level but has no big league experience.
San Francisco officially announced the hire on Wednesday.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey wrote in a statement. “Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. 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.”
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“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity," Vitello wrote. “I’m excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can’t wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants faithful proud. I would like to thank Greg Johnson, Larry Baer, Buster Posey, and Zack Minasian for this responsibility and the opportunity to lead this iconic franchise both on and off the field.”
The move is a historic one in a way. Vitello is the first MLB manager to be hired straight from collegiate baseball with no prior experience in professional baseball, with his years at Tennessee coming after stops at Missouri, TCU and Arkansas. At Tennessee, Vitello developed into one of the best coaches in college baseball.
The Volunteers hired Vitello in 2017 and he quickly turned them into a powerhouse, leading the program to six NCAA Regionals appearances and three College World Series appearances in the last five seasons. In 2024, the program won its first National Championship.
Throughout his career, first as an assistant and then as the head of the Tennessee program, Vitello has had the reputation of being a tremendous recruiter. Tennessee has had 52 players get drafted since Vitello took over and he has signed and coached 16 first rounders at his various collegiate stops.
The big leagues will present a very different challenge, though. While Posey and Vitello will come across well in meetings with free agents, those decisions generally are made based on which team offers the most millions. Vitello's record in San Francisco will be determined by other traits.
The 47-year-old is energetic and a strong leader, and Posey surely is counting on him changing the attitude of a team that has finished around .500 in four consecutive seasons. Posey has talked of the importance of being "obsessive" with details, and while Vitello never has coached big leaguers, he apparently has shown enough at the collegiate level for Posey and the rest of the front office.
Posey's interest in Vitello goes back months, per sources familiar with the organization's search for new leadership. He was one of two men considered to be at the forefront of the search to replace Bob Melvin, along with former Giants backup catcher Nick Hundley.
The perception in recent weeks was that the job would be Hundley's if he wanted it, but the current Texas Rangers special assistant pulled his name from consideration in recent days, per sources. Hundley, a father of two young children, likely will continue his front office work despite numerous appealing opportunities to manage in 2026.
Vitello's candidacy heated up last week, and while he was said to be taking a few days to make a decision, the Giants could not afford to let him get away. Posey continually has circled back to Vitello in internal conversations in recent weeks, per sources, and he is ready to take a big risk and make a significant commitment. Vitello signed the largest contract in college baseball history last year, one that went through 2029 and guaranteed him $3 million a year, a figure on par with many of MLB's top managers. The deal reportedly included a buyout of $3 million.
When you combine the buyout and Vitello's new Giants salary with the fact that the organization is on the hook for one more year with Melvin at around $4 million, it seems likely that the Giants will pay more to their managerial position than any other MLB team in 2026.
But Posey intends for the season to end with October baseball, and he's betting that Vitello is the man to lead the way.
The Giants will introduce Vitello on Thursday, Oct. 30 in a press conference at Oracle Park.