Tony Vitello details balancing Giants' desire to win, develop young pitchers
Giants manager Tony Vitello speaks to reporters ahead of San Francisco's matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday at PNC Park.
Tony Vitello details balancing Giants' desire to win, develop young pitchers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
You got your rotation plans for the New York series.
Do you envision Molina and Wilkinson kind of just slotting into those two open rotating spots with Wisenhunt, Hauser, and- Molina and Tugboat?
Yeah.
Yeah, I think so.
But I, I think we're also open to kinda maneuvering things around.
I mean, the one, the one thing we gotta be cautious of, of, obviously we're trying like crazy to win, but development's a big piece right here, and it doesn't It's kinda counterintuitive to be trying to develop guys and put them in different situations, but also wear them out like crazy.
So, one thing that could alter moves for different guys is just looking at the bullpen, and how do we conserve those guys or keep them in a, in a good spot.
And it's nice to have, really Perdomo now can be added to the mix.
You got some flexible guys there that are probably willing, and h- also have done anything you could ask of them.
But for now, those two guys will start, and we'll see how Game 3 goes.
Speaking of Game 3, is it kind of a consideration of whether to keep Logan on rather than Gregory Turner?
You have, like, Marte and Perdomo as well.
Is that kind of how you guys- Yeah, it's prob- probably looking at those two guys and seeing how they can help as well.
So there's no off day when we return home, and I think it's an earlier game on Monday, too, so it'll be a grind.
So we'll try and put the team in a position to succeed, but also just try and weigh that out.
But I, I think more than anything, the, the bullpen probably takes precedent over the starters when we're looking at that stuff.
Have you guys had any discussions about maybe managing Logan's workload, like, just the rest of the way?
Just, no- Webby?
We- Web- Yeah, just, you know, given that he pitched, pitched in the WBC.
He's had a lot of innings under his arm, in general in the last couple seasons.
A little, a little bit.
I mean, it's, it's kinda gotten to the point, with him and Roop, I don't think Tidwell would necessarily sit in that category.
But with those two guys being the two left from the start of the season that were in those spots, just not going too far the other way.
I, I don't think we wanna get ultra-conservative, but, you know, last night made sense.
And they've kinda done the same thing.
You s- you saw, in our scouting videos, Skeens could not have been more locked in against the Padres.
And 87 pitches, I think it was maybe six innings.
So kinda in that similar mindset that they've got going on, and some others, too, in the league.
You've got Cox batting cleanup today.
We've seen him hit a homer and a bunt single in the same game.
Yeah.
A lot of his skill set would seem to kind of lend towards someone who could be a, like, a table setter, leadoff guy.
Sure.
But he also obviously has some pop.
I mean, are you kind of figuring out Where are you in the process of figuring out just what kind of player he is?
I think he's pretty dynamic and can do a bunch of different things.
And, it's nice being able to have him in left field, Turner.
But really, we've got a pretty good handful of center fielders here, and that's more on the defensive end.
I think before the end of the season he'll, he'll get an inning or two at second.
I know he's eager to do that, and it, it could provide flexibility down the road with a right-handed bat or something like that.
As it stands present moment, that's probably just more about balancing out the lineup a little bit.
I think Drew likes to do that.
If, if we see I don't think we're providing any secrets here to the other team.
If we see a right-handed starter like we are today, it gives the likelihood that Drew stays in the game longer.
So a little bit of it playing off other people, and then also his skill set's pretty dynamic, so can kinda put him in anywhere.
And, you know, last night was unique.
It didn't work out.
I think the way he made contact kinda shocked him.
That ball stayed fair.
He's, he's probably safe if he, if he busts out of the box full speed down the line.
And, and we pinch hit him in that spot because, you know, at times he's arguably our, our best right-handed hitter.
Any word on Eric Soto, by the way?
Yeah.
I mean, he's active.
He's, he's now, I don't know that I'd call it long toss, but he's now at a distance beyond what he would throw from, you know, a sac fly or something like that.
So he's good on the arm.
Starting to swing the bat a little bit.
And, I'm sure he is, too.
You guys have asked about, about Marcello a little bit, but I'm just as eager to get Vec- Vic back in action and, and just get him some more reps.
He seems to be They all are, but he definitely seems to be the more he plays, the, the better he gets and the more comfortable he gets.
Seymour's been pitching pretty well with- lately.
Just how would you evaluate the work that he's done out of the bullpen this year?
Yeah.
I mean, it's been phenomenal for us.
I think somewhere along the line there, he kinda flipped a switch.
His first go-up with us wasn't the best.
But all you gotta do is look to last year spring training to know the potential is there.
I think he's kinda helped unlock that a little bit with mindset.
He's simplified things a little bit.
And he's, he's just throwing it.
He's got really good stuff, so rather than trying to be too crafty or too cute, he's just throwing it up there and seeing what happens.
That maybe is oversimplifying it from my end a little too much, but I think that's been a key to him being so good, and he's been incredibly valuable for us late.
And you look at the games we've won or have been in a position to won, he's been involved a lot.
