New president Buster Posey wants Giants to be 'ultimate prepared team'

SAN FRANCISCO -- In recent weeks and months, Buster Posey began to ponder the possibility of taking on something he insisted he'd never do in joining the baseball operations department for the San Francisco Giants.

Upon retiring three years ago, the star catcher said he wouldn't do it. Yet Posey ultimately dearly missed being part of a team.

Long the face of a franchise for San Francisco with three World Series titles to his name, Posey will be calling the shots on what the club looks like going forward.

The 37-year-old retired catcher was introduced as president of baseball operationsTuesday following the dismissal of Farhan Zaidi.

"A lot of my basic principles are pretty simple," Posey said. "I want us to be known as a team that's the ultimate prepared team -- one that's fundamentals are held at a really high standard. Ultimately, this is all about the players."

Giants chairman Greg Johnson said Posey asked for the chance to be more hands-on in building the club.

"It was really Buster's desire to be accountable 100 percent for the baseball and that spoke a lot to me," Johnson said.

"This certainly is a momentous day for the Giants organization. ... I think for me and for the board, what we have observed with Buster in working with him over the last three years is the competitive fire he has to win. It didn't end when he took his jersey off. It's as strong today as ever."

Posey's first order of business will be hiring a general manager, as Pete Putila won't return in that role but instead will take on different duties. Posey also noted his admiration for manager Bob Melvin, but that his contract status beyond the 2025 season isn't an immediate priority.

"It's Buster Posey," Melvin said. "He's the Giants. It's a big deal. When somebody like Buster asks for the ball, you give it to him."

Melvin figures the Giants are likely to be "probably a little bit more well-rounded team" than the group he guided in his first season as skipper after leaving the San Diego Padres.

San Francisco, which won a franchise-record 107 games and the NL West in Posey's final season of 2021, finished this year at 80-82 -- one more victory than in 2023.

Posey "has a three-year deal with no contingencies or anything," Johnson said. The seven-time All-Star also will remain on the ownership board.

Another order of business will be bringing back left-hander and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who in March received a $62 million, two-year contract with an opt-out.

"He's obviously going to be someone who's a priority for us," Posey said.

In taking this job, Posey needed the support of wife Kristen as the couple have four children. They moved back to the Bay Area following a stay in Georgia after his playing career ended, but never with this plan in mind.

"She could just tell how excited I was about this opportunity," he said.

Posey also is working to complete his degree in social science from Florida State University via online courses and has a semester remaining.

"I'm chipping away at it," Posey said.

By building a strong and experienced staff around him, Posey hopes to empower everyone in the organization from the lower minor league levels to the very top without looking over the shoulders of those who work for him.

He also envisions a blend of both scouting and analytics for the front office.

"Analytics are here and they're here to stay, and it would be a mistake to say that you're not going to use that information," Posey said.