The San Francisco Giants are dealing with another departure from their coaching staff, as hitting coach Justin Viele has accepted a position with the Texas Rangers. Viele, 34, had been with the Giants since 2020 and was instrumental in helping several players, including outfielder Heliot Ramos, improve at the plate. His move to Texas will reunite him with Rangers hitting coach Donnie Ecker, who also spent time with the Giants in 2020-2021.
Ramos credited Viele with helping him refine his swing during the 2023 offseason, a process that played a key role in his breakout 2024 campaign. Ramos went on to earn an All-Star selection, the first of his career, and Viele’s impact was a key factor in that success. The Giants will now move forward with two hitting coaches: Pat Burrell and assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero.
Viele’s departure follows the exit of pitching coach Bryan Price, who retired for a second time after his one-year contract expired. With Price gone, assistant pitching coach J.P. Martinez, who has been with the organization since 2020, has been promoted to pitching coach.
New president of baseball operations Buster Posey spoke about the coaching vacancies during his arrival at the General Manager meetings in San Antonio, noting that the team would likely continue with two hitting and two pitching coaches for the upcoming season. Posey hinted that there could be opportunities for internal promotions or outside hires to fill the vacancies, depending on how things shake out.
In another notable development, Pete Putila, the former Giants general manager, has found a new role with the Atlanta Braves as assistant general manager to Alex Anthopoulos. Putila was hired by former Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi in 2022 to replace Scott Harris, who left for the Detroit Tigers. After Buster Posey took over as president of baseball operations for the Giants, Putila was reassigned, leading to his move to Atlanta.
