The San Francisco Giants have hired former All-Star catcher Buster Posey as president of baseball operations and let go of Farhan Zaidi.
Team chairman Greg Johnson announced this on Monday after the Giants finished the season with an 80-82 record in manager Bob Melvin’s first year, which was one win better than in 2023. San Francisco has not made the playoffs since winning the NL West in 2021.
The 37-year-old Posey became part of the club’s ownership group in September 2022, less than a year after he retired in November 2021.
“As we look ahead, I’m excited to share that Buster Posey will now take on a greater role as the new president of baseball operations,” Johnson said in a statement.
“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.
Buster has the demeanor, intelligence, and drive to do this job, and we are confident that he and Bob Melvin will work together to bring back winning baseball to San Francisco.”
Posey was a seven-time All-Star with a career batting average of .302. He was named the NL MVP in 2012 and was drafted fifth overall by San Francisco in 2008 from Florida State.
His former manager, Bruce Bochy, who is now managing the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers, believes Posey will do well in this new role.
“I’m excited for Buster. He has such a great feel for the game,” Bochy said in a text message. “He did a great job leading on the field, so I’m sure he will excel in this leadership role.”
Posey and his wife, Kristen, moved their family back to Lafayette in the East Bay last year after living in Georgia following his retirement. He ended his career after the Giants had a franchise-record 107-win season in 2021 and opted out of the shortened 2020 season due to the pandemic.
Zaidi was hired from the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in November 2018.
“We appreciate Farhan’s commitment to the organization and his passion for making an impact in our community during his six years with the Giants,” Johnson said. “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.”
Johnson, Posey, and Melvin were scheduled to speak with the media on Tuesday at Oracle Park.
It was not clear which candidates from underrepresented groups were considered by the Giants, as required by Major League Baseball.
“We are also fully committed to following the Selig Rule and ensuring diversity in our hiring for any of our open positions,” Johnson said.
