Giants Bulletin: Bullpen worries, Team USA trouncing, and more

Somehow, the Giants 2026 opener is just three weeks away. Three weeks from tonight, San Francisco will take the field to begin the Tony Vitello era at Oracle Park against the New York Yankees. As that annual festive afternoon hurdles towards us, the Giants still have plenty of unanswered questions. 

First and foremost, the bullpen. The Giants had a good bullpen in 2025, for much of the year it was great. They went 81-81. On paper, this team’s bullpen is looking grim. No Tyler Rogers. No Camilo Doval. No Randy Rodriguez. Just a hopeful Ryan Walker, a 31-year-old career minor leaguer in Spencer Bivens, and the reliable but somewhat injury prone Erik Miller. Will Jose Butto be as dominant as Randy Rodriguez was? Very unlikely. Will Blade Tidwell be able to perform the sorcery of a Tyler Rogers? Almost certainly not. One of Vitello’s biggest chores as a first time manager will be managing a bullpen daily, the fact that the bullpen’s cast is mediocre at best makes that challenge all the more daunting. 

It’s a good thing that Team USA isn’t in the National League West. The Giants faced off against the nation on Tuesday, and it went worse than you probably expected for the orange and black. Although it was, of course, an exhibition, the Giants would have liked to put on at least a slightly more respectable showing with national eyes on Scottsdale Stadium. USA prevailed, 15-1, in a game that went 10 innings because the national team requested an extra frame in order to get more guys work. The Giants obliged. 

Phillies superstar Bryce Harper made headlines on Monday when he joined the Pat McAfee show in Arizona ahead of Team USA”s World Baseball Classic journey. Harper recalled his free agency following the 2018 season, telling the crew that it really came down to the Giants and the Phillies. Harper said that what ultimately tipped the scales was the fact that legendary skipper Bruce Bochy was nearing the end of his tenure. It brought out a TON of speculation and good ole revisionist history from Giants fans keen to relitigate the 2018-19 offseason. 

Tony Vitello didn’t have too much to say regarding Harper’s remarks of his free agency, but he did tell the broadcast team that Harper has been a resource for the unprecedented first year manager. His best advice? Be yourself. 

Fear not, KNBR’s spring training coverage is far from over. We’ll leave you with some fun locker room content.