The San Francisco Giants are looking to their championship past in the hopes of ending a tired run of mediocrity and bringing back a proud baseball tradition to the Bay Area. And in doing so, they are dropping a bombshell on the MLB world. Franchise great Buster Posey will replace Farhan Zaidi as the team's president of baseball operations, via ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Zaidi's job security was believed to be vulnerable, but the swift hiring of the former MVP-winning catcher is quite stunning, to say the least. There was a sense of urgency surrounding the Giants heading into both last offseason and the 2024 campaign, and after a second consecutive losing year (80-82), ownership is clearly growing impatient for change.
With Gabe Kapler being relieved of his managerial duties in 2023 and Zaidi following him out the door a year later, it is imperative that the organization quickly stabilizes. The addition of Posey, who spent his entire 12-year MLB career with San Francisco and has been a minority owner since 2022, will ideally accomplish just that.
Can Buster Posey right the Giants' unsteady ship?
This decision is risky, considering the new executive is lacking in front-office experience, but it is bound to be met with copious local approval. The city watched Posey thrive at the plate (lifetime .302 batting average, 158 home runs) and guide a stellar pitching staff from behind it en route to winning three World Series titles (2010, 2012, 2014). Moreover, the 37-year-old has already showcased exceptional communication skills with at least one active member of the club.
Posey made Matt Chapman feel comfortable about the Giants' future when the two spoke, which reportedly contributed to the four-time Gold Glove third baseman inking a six-year, $151 million contract extension early in September. His responsibilities will substantially increase going forward, but there are obviously multiple people who believe he can once again be the glue that holds a prosperous baseball product together.
“We are looking for someone who can define, direct and lead this franchise's baseball philosophy and we feel that Buster is the perfect fit,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said in a statement, per Passan. “Buster has the demeanor, intelligence and drive to do this job, and we are confident that he and (manager) Bob Melvin will work together to bring back winning baseball to San Francisco.”
Buster Posey must quickly formulate an offseason strategy and figure out a way to launch his beloved team back into relevance. If all goes well, the next October should go much differently than the previous two.
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