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With Tony Vitello on board as the new manager and several new coaches joining the organization, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey can finally start to shift his attention toward upgrading the team’s roster.
On this episode of Section 415, The Standard’s baseball reporter, John Shea, joins host Kerry Crowley to discuss Shea’s 30-minute conversation with Vitello at MLB’s general manager meetings, the Giants’ offseason priorities, and why the team might be willing to consider trading top prospect Bryce Eldridge.
The Giants’ top targets this offseason are pitchers, and there are no shortage of intriguing arms available through free agency and trades.
While team chairman Greg Johnson warned the Giants will “be very cautious” about handing out nine-figure deals to pitchers, highly touted Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai could be a strong fit to join Logan Webb in the rotation. Additionally, future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer — who started Game 7 of the World Series for the Blue Jays — is a free-agent and has a longstanding friendship with Vitello dating back to their days at the University of Missouri.
Shea explains how these pitchers could help the Giants and looks at some of the other top starters the team could target in potential trades.