San Francisco icon Buster Posey, at 37, is among the youngest presidents of baseball operations in … [+] the major leagues. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Maybe Buster Posey can succeed where former Giants executives failed.
After pursuing Brian Harper, Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, and Shohei Ohtani before those free agent sluggers signed elsewhere, the San Francisco Giants are looking to a former hero for future success.
Posey, 37, is the new president of baseball operations for the team, which finished fourth in the National League West with an 80-72 record that left it 18 games behind the front-running Los Angeles Dodgers. He has no experience in the role but plenty of experience as a player.
In 12 years as the regular catcher for San Francisco, he won a batting title, Rookie of the Year award, MVP trophy, Gold Glove, and three World Series rings. He hit .302 with 158 home runs but sat out the 2020 season because of the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
One of six sitting members on the team’s board of directors, Posey succeeds Farhan Zaidi, who was fired. He will hire a new general manager to replace Pete Putila, who was promoted to a post yet to be decided.
Salary terms were not revealed for Posey, who has a three-year contract, but he won’t earn anything close to his peak as a player, $22,177,778 in 2021.
In fact, he’ll be charged with keeping a close eye on the club’s payroll, which ranked 10th in the majors this year at $207 million, according to Roster Resource.
The Giants just extended slick-fielding third baseman Matt Chapman, who got six years at $115 million, but could lose veteran left-handed starters Blake Snell and Robbie Ray, past Cy Young Award winners eligible to opt out of existing contracts and try for better and longer deals in the free agent market.
Also likely to leave are outfielders Michael Conforto and Mark Canha, both unrestricted free agents, and versatile infielder Wilmer Flores, who can activate his $3.5 million player option or depart – with the Giants able to keep him by invoking an $8.5 million club option.
Buster Posey was a perennial All-Star during a 12-year career that included an MVP award and seven … [+] trips to the All-Star Game. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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The Giants won three World Series in alternating seasons during the five-year span from 2010 to 2014 but have not won a pennant since – even though they set a franchise record with 107 victories in 2021. It was the only time in the last 12 years that the arch-rival Dodgers have not been the National League’s best in the West.
It is up to Posey to change that dynamic but he’ll also have to pass the Padres and Diamondbacks, who finished ahead of San Francisco but behind Los Angeles this season.
“We believe it is time for new leadership to elevate our team so we can consistently contend for championships,” said Giants team chairman Greg Johnson in a statement to the media.
“The results have not been what we had hoped, and while that responsibility is shared by all of us, we have decided that a change is necessary. While these decisions are not easy, we believe it is time for new leadership to elevate our team so we can consistently contend for championships.”
The team of Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Juan Marichal, San Francisco has been a perennial contender since moving to the city from New York after the 1957 season.
Posey succeeds Zaidi, who had a year to go on his contract and an option for another season beyond that. He was with the team for six seasons but all were disappointing outside of the 107-win summer.
“Buster is the perfect fit,” Johnson said. “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 winning baseball back to San Francisco.”
A revolving door of veterans has been a hallmark of the team’s forays into free agency. Pitchers Carlos Rodon, Kevin Gausman, and Anthony DeSclafani were among those who thrived during short stays but then left for greener pastures. In addition, such home run hitters as Jorge Soler, Mitch Haniger, and Conforto found the dimensions of Oracle Park not conducive to the long ball.
Posey joins Derek Jeter (Marlins), Jerry DiPoto (Mariners), Chris Young (Rangers), and Craig Breslow (Red Sox) as former players who ascended to prominent front office positions. Yet it is surprising, as he joined the board of directors just two years ago after buying a minority stake in the franchise.
A Georgia native, he said he grew fond of both the city and the team.
He and Bob Melvin, who just completed the first year of a three-year deal as manager, will work together to reconstruct the club during the off-season. Melvin, like Posey, is a former major-league catcher.
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