Giants' Tony Vitello Non-Committal on Top Prospect’s Opening Day Roster Chances

Early in spring training, San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters that he didn’t want Bryce Eldridge focused on making the opening day roster.

It wasn’t his way of dissuading anyone from thinking the No. 1 prospect had a chance to make the roster. He wanted Eldridge to think about the process and the work and not about the result.

Turns out the result most are hoping for isn’t definite yet.

Earlier this week Vitello was asked about where Eldridge might start the season. He got a bit non-committal, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required), who posted Vitello’s comment on X (formerly Twitter).

Tony Vitello on Bryce Eldridge

Detailed view of the jersey of San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge. — San Francisco Giants first baseman Bryce Eldridge. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When it came to whether the 6-foot-7 left-handed slugger would make the opening day roster or be sent to Triple-A Sacramento, he said “… maybe see where it goes the last couple of weeks of spring training.”

Vitello may genuinely believe Eldridge needs to go back to Sacramento. He may simply be hedging his bets in case the slugger’s numbers go one way or the other. He may also be seeking to motivate him as spring training hits the home stretch before opening day on March 25 at home against the New York Yankees.

He’s put up quality spring training numbers, with a slash of .259/.412/.556 with a home run and five RBI. He’s already played 13 games and in the final two weeks of spring training he is more likely to face pitchers with Major League bona fides than he was a week ago.

The hope since the offseason began was that Eldridge proved himself good enough to win an opening day job. San Francisco leadership have spoken openly about a platoon with Rafael Devers and Eldridge sharing time at first base. Vitello recently said that he believed Devers was good enough at first base to play 130 games there this year. So, the plan hinges on two things.

First, is Eldridge good enough in the field to spell Devers? Second, can he be consistent enough as a DH when Devers is in the field? Some of that is spring training performance. Some of that is projection for the season.

There’s a sense that the former first-round pick in 2023 has proven everything he can in the minor leagues, even though he only has half a season at Triple-A. He’s slashed .279/.360/.512 with 54 home runs and 194 RBI outside of the Bay Area.

In his small sample size in the Majors, he slashed .107/.297/.179 with no home runs and four RBI. He played four games at first base and six at designated hitter. The Giants believe he can be far better than that in the future. The question is whether that future starts opening day.