Bryce Eldridge was not in Sunday’s lineup against the Chicago White Sox, leading to an uproar from the fanbase. SF Giants general manager Zack Minasian did not help matters when he told Jim Bowden of The Athletic that lineup decisions and construction are “Tony’s [Vitello] call.”

There was an obvious reason why Eldridge was not in the lineup despite recording two hits and a walk in a 10 – 3 win over the White Sox on Saturday. The Giants were facing a tough lefty in Noah Shultz. Shultz has allowed just a .488 OPS against left-handed hitters this season.

If the Giants want to put Eldridge in a position to succeed, then this was an acceptable decision to keep him on the bench. However, the Giants have been questioned again and again about Eldridge’s playing time. There have been several opportunities to play him this month, but the Giants have decided against it. It is hard to find a rhythm when a young player is not getting consistent playing time for the first time as a pro.

The criticism against the Giants in their handling of a top prospect has been valid. If this were only one game, then the responses would have been muted. This was not just one game, but a continuation of a trend.

SF Giants general manager Zack Minasian’s comment puts the blame on Tony Vitello

Last week, Buster Posey joined the Murph and Markus Show on KNBR and emphasized that the Giants were trying to put Eldridge in the best position to succeed. Even if you did not believe that statement, and many did not, there was a subtle implication that this was more of a group decision.

However, Mianasian’s comment left Giants manager Tony Vitello out to dry. In practice, front offices want to avoid the stigma of meddling too much with managerial decisions. In reality, there is usually a collaboration on both fronts on how to best manage the roster. This often also includes working to set the lineup.

There is a fair debate about whether Eldridge would be better served getting consistent reps in Triple-A instead. That discourse seems to have reached its tipping point for now, as the left-handed bat has started three of the past four games. Perhaps, that is a sign of things to come.

Still, there was something distasteful about Minasian’s comment. The Giants are off to a brutal 22 – 31 start, and there have not been many signs that point to this season turning around. That could happen, but the early indicators do not suggest it.

I think the organization is trying to figure out what has gone wrong, and that could lead to some finger-pointing. With Minasian, he clearly put the Eldridge discourse on Vitello. Whether that is right or wrong, it might be a sign of a front office and coaching staff that is not totally cohesive at the moment.