Buster Posey has never been one to play it safe, but his latest move might be the biggest gamble in modern baseball history. The San Francisco Giants’ president of baseball operations spent more than $588 million on new players, but his team stayed at .500 for four straight seasons. This time, his decision could either change the way baseball is run or end his career.

Posey hired Tony Vitello, the 47-year-old baseball coach at the University of Tennessee, to manage the Giants. This made him the first person ever to go straight from college baseball to a Major League dugout. While he only has a five-year contract, he has to carry the weight of an entire franchise. For Vitello, Posey even turned down Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker, two future Hall of Famers, as well as Skip Schumaker, a candidate everyone wanted.

This choice has huge financial consequences that go beyond hiring Vitello.

Posey gave shortstop Willy Adames $182 million, gave third baseman Matt Chapman a six-year, $151 million extension, and got Rafael Devers and his $255 million contract. The Giants still owe Bob Melvin $4 million for 2026, and now, they have to pay Tennessee $3 million for Vitello. But Posey backed up his decision by pointing to Vitello’s record.

He made 10 first-round picks in eight seasons (Garrett Crochet, Ben Joyce, Gavin Kilen, among others), led Tennessee to its first College World Series championship in 2024, and won the SEC title twice in a row in 2022 and 2024.

The Giants ended the 2025 season with an 81-81 record, which was their fourth straight year stuck between 79 and 81 wins. This frustrating cycle of mediocrity forced Posey to act. The collapse wasn’t very dramatic, but the lack of progress was just as bad. Posey now wants a team full of veteran All-Stars and young players who want to win to respect a manager who has never faced a big league curveball.

But the schedule makes things even harder.

The San Francisco Giants will play the New York Yankees at home on March 25, 2026, one day before Opening Day for the rest of Major League Baseball. Vitello’s first game as a professional manager will be in front of the biggest audience possible, with the baseball world watching to see if Posey’s historic gamble pays off. Many MLB executives think things will go wrong.

With that, Bob Nightengale noted, “It’s one thing to take a chance that could damage a team’s chances for the postseason, it’s quite another to bet your job and reputation on it.”

Now, while there are a lot of questions about Vitello’s readiness for the big leagues, Posey won’t stop making changes to his roster. The front office thinks they can sign a free agent who can shut all the doubts up. If the manager hire is Posey’s most daring personnel move, his next one could give it the power to work.

Giants eye Kyle Tucker to complete roster overhaul

While Vitello gets ready for his first game, the San Francisco Giants keep looking for the missing piece that could turn their lineup from promising to dominant.

For years, San Francisco has been trying to get the best baseball players, but they keep signing with other teams. Adames was a big step forward, but the Giants still need one more big trade to be genuine contenders. Kyle Tucker, who is probably the best free agent on the market, is now their next target. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com says that the Giants and Dodgers are all serious candidates to sign Tucker.

Tucker’s resume speaks for itself.

“Tucker started his first season with the Cubs on a tear, hitting 17 home runs with 52 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .931 OPS through June,” Feinsand noted. But he also pointed out that the outfielder struggled later in the year.

A broken right hand caused Tucker’s offensive drop in July, but he is still the best and most well-rounded player on the free-agent market this winter. He has been worth at least 4.0 fWAR every year since 2021.

Some people thought Tucker’s price would drop below the $350–400 million range, but he’ll still get a vast deal. If you put him with Adames, Chapman, and Devers, Vitello would have all the firepower he needs. Posey smells an opportunity, and getting Tucker would prove that every risky choice he’s made was the right one.