The San Francisco Giants have named former All-Star catcher Buster Posey as their new president of baseball operations, replacing Farhan Zaidi. Team chairman Greg Johnson announced the move on Monday following the Giants’ 80-82 season, one win better than the previous year in Bob Melvin’s first season as manager. The team hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning the NL West in 2021.
Posey, 37, joined the Giants’ ownership group in September 2022, less than a year after retiring in November 2021. “We’re excited to announce Buster as our new president of baseball operations,” Johnson said, noting that the team was looking for someone to shape and lead their baseball philosophy. He praised Posey’s leadership qualities and expressed confidence that Posey and Melvin would work together to return the team to its winning ways.
Posey, a seven-time All-Star with a .302 career batting average, was the NL MVP in 2012 and was drafted fifth overall by the Giants in 2008. His former manager, Bruce Bochy, now managing the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers, voiced his support, saying Posey would thrive in his new role.
Posey and his wife Kristen moved back to the Bay Area last year after living in Georgia post-retirement. He retired after the Giants’ 107-win season in 2021 and had opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic.
Zaidi, who was hired from the Dodgers in November 2018, was thanked for his contributions, but Johnson acknowledged that the team’s recent results have fallen short of expectations, prompting the decision for change. Johnson also emphasized the team’s commitment to diversity in hiring, in accordance with MLB’s Selig Rule.
Johnson, Posey, and Melvin are set to address the media on Tuesday at Oracle Park.
