Ex-Giants C Buster Posey replaces Zaidi as baseball ops prez - ESPN

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

Posey, a seven-time All-Star and National League MVP, retired after the 2021 season and in 2022 joined the Giants' ownership group. Widely regarded for his baseball acumen, the 37-year-old Posey lacks the front office experience that typically accompanies those who ascend to top jobs.

The Giants nevertheless saw him as the right candidate to replace Zaidi, 47, who had taken over in San Francisco in 2019 and over the past three seasons oversaw mediocre results that led to his dismissal.

«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,» 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 back winning baseball to San Francisco.»

Posey's involvement in the six-year, $151 million contract extension for Matt Chapman earlier this month signaled a shift in the Giants' operations, though it was not clear that he would take over were Zaidi fired. San Francisco had backed Zaidi regularly, giving him a two-year contract extension last year and providing him the leeway over the winter to guarantee more than $400 million in free agent deals and push the team's payroll past the luxury tax threshold.

Despite excellent individual performances, the Giants faltered this season, finishing 80-82 after 81-81 and 79-83 performances in 2022 and 2023. The