Giants Talk: Why Rafael Devers, coaching are biggest first-half disappointments
"Giants Talk" co-hosts Cole Kuiper and Alex Pavlovic discuss San Francisco's biggest disappointments from the 2026 MLB season's first half.
Giants Talk: Why Rafael Devers, coaching are biggest first-half disappointments originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
Biggest disappointment from the first half, Alex.
I'll, I'll let you field this one to begin.
Okay.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna say the coaching staff, and that includes the manager.
Okay.
And here's what I'll say.
I have always Longtime listeners know I, I've always kind of pushed back when the entire fan base wants a coach to be fired because I, I think it's, it's not fair.
These guys make, like, way less money than the lowest paid player on the roster.
They're working 14 hours a day.
They're, they're there all the time.
So this isn't about that.
I don't think anyone should be fired.
I, you know, I think Tony, it's been a learning experience for him this year.
That was what we expected.
I do think it's fair to say that, that, you know, this is someone who Buster thought was Giants were telling free agents in the off season that they thought Tony and his staff could be worth, you know, three, four wins.
Yeah.
With a team that has been around 81 the last few years.
So they really thought there was gonna be an impact.
And I think Tony's been fine.
I mean, there's been some mistakes.
I, I don't think he's done a great job.
I don't think he's done a horrible job.
I, I think it's been just fine.
But I, I also think we have to point out that if any other manager in recent Giants history had had this type of season where a team that seems to lack energy a lot, a team that fundamentally on the bases is bad a lot, a team that can't get a hit with runners in scoring position quite often, can't figure out the bullpen.
That Look, that he was handed a, a bad break there and everyone kind of knew it, but also I think there's been some bullpen stuff that I haven't thought was handled great either.
I, I just think if you look at it, like, if anybody else was managing this other than a, a first year guy, there would be a lot of daily conversation about the manager and his coaches.
So, they do have to take a fair amount of responsibility for the record here.
Yeah.
My biggest disappointment of the first half is there was a lot of talk about, you know, Giants didn't make a lot of moves, and talk here on this podcast even.
Giants didn't make a lot of moves, but remember, this is their first full year with Rafael Devers.
Consider that a, a move in itself.
And we're sitting here watching Kyle Harrison get snubbed from the All-Star game.
Absolutely dealing, save a couple outings, one of which can be excused for playing in a triple A ballpark.
As Devers Well, maybe, maybe flounders is a little too strong a word, 'cause he has picked up the pace.
He has been hitting home runs.
He's up there with, with noted s- slugger Casey Schmidt.
He's not He's still not playing at the trade away your best young pitcher and top minor league prospect level.
Yeah.
I You know what?
The Devers thing's gonna be weird at the end of the year because he, he could have 37 home runs and lead the league in RBI- Still.
Yeah and- Yeah, and still be disappointing.
I And it's hard to say, like, "Man, you were disappointing," but I do think you could look back at the start of this year and just go, like, this is similar to last year.
Like, they needed these guys in July, and they weren't there.
Yeah.
And then everyone kind of showed up at the end of August when the season was over.
Yeah.
So they needed these guys- They needed lineup in April and, and, you know, it wasn't there.
