Buster Posey named Giants president; Farhan Zaidi fired

In a stunning move that simultaneously sidelined the architect of their most winning team and elevated one of the greatest players in franchise history, the San Francisco Giants fired president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and named future Hall of Fame catcher Buster Posey to the position.

The move comes just three seasons after Zaidi, 47, combined the longtime champion Giants with a slew of newcomers to lead the Giants to a 107-win season and the National League West title in 2021, one game ahead of the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Dodgers defeated the Giants in an epic five-game NL Division series, and Posey – a three-time World Series champion for the Giants and 2010 NL MVP – retired.

The Giants never came close to those heights again, going 81-81, 79-83 and 80-82 as Zaidi’s commitment to altering lineups and platooning failed to produce results without the remnants of a championship core in Posey, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford .

Now, surprisingly, it will be Posey who will take the reins of baseball operations despite having virtually no management experience.

Posey joined Greg Johnson’s ownership group and moved his family back to the Bay Area after his retirement. He reportedly played a significant role in the $151 million contract extension signed by Matt Chapman earlier this month, which could be interpreted as a sign that Zaidi, who was hired before the 2019 season, sees his influence waning.

Now it’s official.

“We are looking for someone who can define, guide and direct the baseball philosophy of this franchise,” Johnson, the club’s president, said in a statement, “and we believe Buster is the perfect fit. “Buster has the attitude, intelligence and drive to get the job done, and we are confident that he and (manager) Bob Melvin will work together to bring winning baseball back to San Francisco.”

Posey, 37, was a seven-time All-Star for the Giants and hit .302 with 158 home runs in his career. As a rookie, he played a key role in leading the Giants to the 2010 World Series, the first tournament in San Francisco and the start of three World Series championships in five years.

Zaidi was general manager in Oakland and played for the Dodgers before the Giants hired him to replace Bobby Evans, who inherited the job from Brian Sabean, the architect of three Giants title teams. Zaidi’s highly analytical approach – and the hiring of progressive manager Gabe Kapler – was a significant departure for an organization based on traditional scouting and development principles. However, the club fell into serious decline after reaching the NL Division Series in 2016, and longtime manager Bruce Bochy left after Zaidi’s first season in 2019.

While the 2021 season was stunning, Zaidi’s approach combined with the Giants’ inability to attract elite free agents to San Francisco has irritated an increasingly impatient fan base.

Things seemed to come to a head when Chapman’s deadline extension reportedly stalled before Posey got involved. The Giants belatedly added Chapman and Blake Snell, who struggled to find homes in free agency last winter.

This had a significant impact on the club’s slow start and eventual withdrawal from the competition. Snell is now expected to opt out of his contract, but on Saturday he said he would welcome a return to the Giants.

If that happens, he’ll be dealing with a new president deciding the fate of the team – one very familiar to Giants fans.

However, a player’s pedigree never guarantees success in management positions, and in various sports, Michael Jordan had serious difficulties as an executive with the Washington Wizards, and his Charlotte Bobcats teams also failed to gain popularity under his leadership. Famous baseball player Ted Williams was unable to translate his hitting volume to the Washington Senators teams he managed.

However, Posey is fresh enough from the game that he can maintain relationships with current players, agents and on-field staff. His career spanned perhaps the most destructive decade-plus in terms of player development and placement.

“We believe it is time,” Johnson said in a statement, “for new leadership that will elevate our team.”