Will Tony Vitello’s Relationship with Future Hall-of-Famer Lead Him to Giants?

In a piece for MLB.com last week, Scherzer was asked about his former coach’s hiring. He loved it.

"I'm just so happy for him,” Scherzer said. “Happy he got the opportunity to be able to get to the big leagues. I've been friends with him my whole time ever since Mizzou. I've known the fire in him. I know the passion that he has. I've always believed in him.”

Would Scherzer be happy enough to join the Giants as a free agent? There’s a lot to consider.

San Francisco went the aging veteran route with Justin Verlander in 2025, and the results were mixed. He missed time with an injury and didn’t win a game until July. He went 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA in 29 starts and struck out 137 hitters. He was not supposed to be the ace — that role fell to Logan Webb. But one could argue the signing didn’t work as hoped.

Scherzer just turned 41 years old. He missed three months with a thumb injury. When he returned, he was effective, going 5-5 with a 5.19 ERA in 17 starts. Toronto didn’t expect him to be an ace, either. The Blue Jays have Kevin Gausman for that.

Like Verlander, Scherzer’s resume is incredible. He has two World Series rings, three National League Cy Young awards and eight All-Star Game berths. When he starts for the Blue Jays, he’ll make a World Series start for his fourth different team.

Scherzer may be done after this World Series. If he calls it a career, he’ll almost certainly be a Hall-of-Fame selection in his first year of eligibility. But, if he wishes to play one more year, a reunion with his former pitching coach might interest him. Vitello would certainly vouch for him.

But then president of baseball operations Buster Posey must consider Scherzer’s recent injury history. A herniated disc suffered in the 2023 World Series with the Texas Rangers derailed his 2024 season. The thumb injury was in his opening start of 2025. The Giants must decide if that’s worth it.

If it is, and Scherzer is interested in playing on, a one-year deal like the one Verlander signed might make sense. It would reunite the pair as Vitello tries to end the Giants’ playoff drought as a rookie manager.