SAN FRANCISCO — At his introductory press conference in October, Giants manager Tony Vitello mentioned how Bryce Eldridge had turned him down when Vitello was trying to get him to come to Tennessee. Eldridge won’t be the only Giant next season who chose to go pro instead of playing for one of Vitello’s teams. New left-handed reliever Sam Hentges was recruited to Arkansas by Vitello in 2014, but he was taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft by the Cleveland Guardians and chose to start his career right out of high school. A decade later, Hentges is hopeful he’s pitching high-leverage innings for Vitello in his first season as a manager. The Giants signed Hentges to a one-year deal earlier this week, betting that he’ll be able to overcome two recent surgeries and give them another good left-handed option in their bullpen. Hentges had shoulder surgery in 2024 and knee surgery this past August, but on a Zoom call with reporters, he said his rehab is going well and he anticipates being 100 percent by the start of the spring. Hentges called it a “tough rehab,” and it was interrupted when he felt swelling in his right knee...