A disappointing first half in San Francisco has the Giants weighing roster changes at the MLB trade deadline, according to ESPN. Offensive inconsistency and an underperforming pitching staff have left the team 31-43 as it approaches the midpoint of the season, creating the possibility that veterans with expiring contracts or high salaries could be made available, sources told ESPN.
President of baseball operations Buster Posey acknowledged the club must remain open-minded about its options. “Based on today, June 13th, unless things really turn around, we’re going to have to be open-minded and consider a variety of possibilities,” Posey told ESPN.
The struggles have complicated Tony Vitello’s first season as manager. The former Tennessee coach was hired to inject energy into a veteran clubhouse, but the club has slipped from hopes of contending with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres to trading places with the Colorado Rockies near the bottom of the NL West, according to ESPN reporting.
Players and coaches have felt the impact. Catcher Eric Haase described the team’s streaky play and ongoing frustrations, saying meetings and efforts to “right the ship” have produced encouraging signs but remain vexing. Third baseman Matt Chapman said the absence of a professional managerial background for Vitello has magnified scrutiny when results have been poor.
Posey deflected suggestions that the coaching hire is the primary issue, placing more responsibility on himself for roster construction. “I always feel like I take more blame if the guys don’t play well because it’s my responsibility to pick the players that I believe are going to be successful on the field,” he told ESPN.
The season’s low point arrived in late April and early May, when the Giants blew ninth-inning leads in both games of a doubleheader in Philadelphia, then were swept in a three-game set by the Tampa Bay Rays. That stretch dropped the club from 13-15 to 13-21 and into last place in the NL West, according to ESPN.
