The San Francisco Giants ended the first half of the season with a victory, though there was little pretense in the clubhouse about the mess that has been the first 96 games.
With a record of 41-55, the Giants are quickly approaching the August 3 trade deadline, which might push the front office to make tough decisions. It’s been a rough start for a team expected to be competitive under new coach Tony Vitello.
Vitello didn’t sugarcoat the situation. When reflecting on the first 96 games, he mentioned the challenges of adapting to the fast-paced MLB season, along with the learning curve that comes with being in the big leagues.
“This is a uniquely difficult task,” Vitello stated. “For the players, it’s a physical challenge since I’m not the one playing. For us, it’s more a mental game. We need to find ways to focus on each day.”
That, however, is easier said than done.
The Giants stumbled through the first half, plagued by an uneven offense, inconsistent pitching, and a bullpen that frequently turned potential victories into painful losses.
Vitello acknowledged that the team’s hopeful start might have raised expectations too high too soon.
“Spring training went really well for us. We thought we could make a splash at the beginning, but that didn’t happen immediately,” he said. “It was frustrating early on, and a lot went wrong, but that’s behind us now. We only have the second half to look forward to.”
Logan Webb, one of the few players to maintain his confidence through the tumultuous first half, was candid in his assessment, saying, “We haven’t put ourselves in good positions. That’s pretty clear. We haven’t played well.” He suggested the break should encourage some reflection and improvement.
“We need to take a step back and figure out where we want to be as a team,” Webb noted, pondering how the team is perceived when they take the field.
He captured Vitello’s message perfectly: The team should have been aggressive from the start. “Tony’s message has always been to be assertive. I don’t think we executed that well,” Webb added.
The upcoming weeks could prove challenging given this ongoing struggle.
It seems that nearly everyone on the roster, with the exception of Webb and Jung-Hoo Lee, could be up for trade. The team might focus on dealing veteran players nearing the end of their contracts, with names like Luis Arraez and Robby Ray being potential trade targets.
There’s a possibility San Francisco may look to offload Rafael Devers or Willie Adames, but both players come with hefty contracts that complicate trades. Their current deals may deter teams unless the Giants absorb a significant portion of the financial burden.
Despite the struggles, Webb isn’t throwing in the towel. He cited the 2021 Braves, who overcame a 10.5-game deficit at the All-Star break to capture the World Series.
“I’m not saying it’s guaranteed, but it’s baseball—it’s unpredictable,” he said. “You never know what can happen.”
The first 96 games were a wake-up call for the Giants, revealing they might not be as strong as they believed. The true test now is whether they’ve learned from their mistakes in time for the second half.
