Tony Vitello is off o San Fransisco to become the new manager of the San Fransisco Giants and he leaves a cloud of uncertainty. One of the most pressing immediate questions is about the status of Tennessee’s current rosters and whether they can transfer before next season.
With Vitello’s departure, the transfer portal is now open for 30 days for Tennessee baseball players. But only graduates can enter the transfer portal now and be eligible to play next season. Non graduate players can transfer to the Division II or JUCO level and be eligible to play. But if they want to play Division I baseball during the 2026 season, they have to stay at Tennessee.
Which Tennessee players are graduates and eligible to transfer? It’s not entirely clear but there is only one obvious one. Duke transfer LHP Mark Hindy was a graduate transfer this offseason and is eligible to play elsewhere this season.
My belief is that Hindy is the only graduate on Tennessee’s roster. Reese Chapman is a senior and could have feasibly graduated but I do not believe that to be the case. Virginia transfer LHP Evan Blanco is also a senior but it is unclear whether he graduated from Virginia in three years.
More From RTI: Social Media Reacts to Tony Vitello Leaving Tennessee For San Francisco Giants Opening
Tennessee should avoid a mass exodus to the transfer portal this fall because most players will not be eligible to play elsewhere this coming season. Vitello leaves a talented roster behind that projects as a top 10 team nationally and a College World Series contender.
But the Vols could see an abundance of players enter the transfer portal following the 2026 season. If that is the case, Tennessee will be much better equipped to handle the departures because the portal will be open to all players and there will be much more players to retool the roster with for the 2027 season.
In Vitello’s eight seasons as head coach, Tennessee won two SEC Regular-Season and SEC Tournament championships, made the super regionals five times, made the College World Series three times and won the 2024 National Championship— the first in program history. Vitello ends his stint at Tennessee with a 341-131 record.
