Tony Vitello may have just created a major off-the-field problem for the San Francisco Giants
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach may have made a big mistake this week that could cost the Giants.
Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello may have accidentally caused a big problem for the San Francisco Giants this week.
One of the biggest non-trade deadline stories in MLB revolves around Giants outfielder Harrison Bader, who crashed his scooter last week and further injured his foot.
Bader, who has been on the IL since late May with left plantar fasciitis, reportedly crashed the scooter into a fire engine around 2:00 AM in San Francisco and had to be treated at the hospital.
It’s unclear what the Giants’ next move will be, but it’s possible they could seek to void Bader’s contract for getting injured while taking part in “high-risk activities.”
This is where Vitello, who is in his first season as the Giants’ manager, comes into play.
The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly noted this week that some comments Vitello made about Bader’s injury could cause some issues for the Giants if they try to void Bader’s contract.
“If the Giants want to preserve a path to void Bader’s contract, then manager Tony Vitello might have damaged their legal standing in his pregame session with reporters,” wrote Baggarly. “In the absence of any information or availability from upper management, reporters had to rely on the Giants’ rookie manager, who has struggled to be a clear and reliable spokesperson on everything from injury updates to organizational matters.”
When Vitello was asked this week if Bader will play again this season, Vitello said, “I think that would’ve been a long shot to begin with.”
The problem with Vitello’s seemingly innocuous quote is that Bader’s camp can use his statement as evidence that the scooter accident didn’t have any bearing on whether he plays again this season.
If you think that sounds silly, you’re not alone. It is silly. But that’s how these things work. And it’s a reason why managers are instructed to offer as little information as possible on injuries.
Vitello was almost certainly just trying to protect his player in the midst of a chaotic situation. Sure, Bader is responsible for making a poor decision (this isn’t the first time he’s done this — Bader was suspended during his time at Florida for crashing a scooter while under the influence of alcohol), but Vitello is a relationships guy. He cares about his players unconditionally. Vitello was probably just trying to take some of the heat off Bader in the moment.
Ultimately, the Giants are to blame for not getting out in front of this and instead sending Vitello out to face the media unprepared.
We’ll see what happens with Bader’s situation. He’s owed $13 million next season, and the only way to make that disappear is to void his contract, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the path the Giants take.
And I also wouldn’t be surprised if Bader’s camp uses Vitello’s quote to fight it.
Welcome to the big leagues, Tony V.