Overview
- At Monday’s media session in Scottsdale, Vitello criticized an Oct. 18 report and tweet suggesting he was set to leave Tennessee, saying he had not decided at that time.
- Vitello said the early reporting disrupted a Tennessee practice and forced him to address anxious assistants and players before the Giants officially announced his hire on Oct. 22.
- A day later, he downplayed the long‑term significance, saying reporters shouldn’t take his words too seriously and that the coverage would not have changed his agreement with Buster Posey.
- Posey expressed confidence in Vitello’s leadership, and Vitello said no one from the Giants asked him to walk back his remarks.
- Columnists questioned the optics and his messaging as he transitions from a decorated college career to his first MLB job, a leap that continues to draw heightened scrutiny.