Former Giants C Buster Posey replaces Zaidi as head of baseball operations

The San Francisco Giants fired president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi on Monday and replaced him with Buster Posey, the three-time World Series winner and franchise icon who has taken on an increasingly larger front office role in recent years had.

Posey, a seven-time All-Star and National League MVP, retired after the 2021 season and joined the Giants’ ownership group in 2022. Widely regarded for his baseball skills, the 37-year-old Posey does not have the front office experience that typically comes with those who rise to top positions.

Still, the Giants saw him as the right candidate to replace the 47-year-old Zaidi, who took over from San Francisco in 2019 and had mediocre results over the past three seasons, leading to his firing.

“We are looking for someone who can define, guide and lead the baseball philosophy of this franchise, and we feel Buster is a perfect fit,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said in a statement. “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 successful baseball back to San Francisco.”

Posey’s involvement in Matt Chapman’s six-year, $151 million contract extension earlier this month signaled a shift in the Giants’ operations, although it was not clear he would take over if Zaidi was fired. San Francisco had been a regular backer of Zaidi, giving him a two-year contract extension last year and giving him leeway over the winter to guarantee more than $400 million in free-agent deals and push the team’s payroll over the luxury tax line .

Despite outstanding individual performances, the Giants faltered, finishing the season at 80-82 after 81-81 and 79-83 performances in 2022 and 2023. The signing of Melvin and the signing of Chapman, left-hander Blake Snell and the Outfielder JJung Hoo Lee did little to change a team that was buried in the MLB’s best division, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks all clearly superior.

Zaidi’s tenure appeared to be on the upswing in 2021, as the Giants won the National League West 107-55 – the only time in the last 12 seasons that a team other than the Dodgers captured the division crown. San Francisco lost to the Dodgers in the Division Series, Posey retired, and the transition from the end of the era in which they won three World Series was official. Zaidi never managed to come close to repeating it again.

“We appreciate Farhan’s commitment to the organization and his passion for making a difference in our community during his six years with the Giants,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, the results were not what we had hoped for and although this responsibility lies with all of us, we decided that a change was necessary. Although these decisions are not easy, we believe it is time for new leadership to step up.” We will strengthen our team so we can continue to compete for championships. I wish Farhan and his family all the best for the future.”