Giants fire Farhan Zaidi, promote Buster Posey to PBO

Huge news.

In news that is simultaneously shocking and not at all surprising, the San Francisco Giants wasted no time shaking things up this offseason. Less than 20 hours after their season ended with a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team announced that they had parted ways with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi … and replaced him with franchise legend Buster Posey.

Zaidi’s departure is hardly surprising, especially with how many rumors and reports had surfaced in the past weeks and months. And especially after the Giants failed to secure a winning record for the fifth time in his six years at the helm. But Posey’s elevation to the top executive role is certainly a surprising one.

When Posey retired after the 2021 season, he and his family returned home to Georgia, where a peaceful life away from baseball was expected by the public. But just one year later, they returned to California, and Posey joined the Giants ownership group and its board of directors. He had become increasingly involved over the last year, but the general belief was that the future Hall of Famer — so recently removed from the game, and with four children — would not want to take on a job as stressful and committed as president of baseball operations.

But that sentiment was clearly wrong. Posey — who, according to a report from The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, played a central role in Matt Chapman’s extension — is ready to run the show, and you certainly can’t blame the Giants for jumping at the chance to let him. In a statement, chairman Greg Johnson noted that, “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.”

While Zaidi’s tenure will certainly be classified as a failure of sorts, the next great Giants team will likely have his fingerprints all over it. The organization looks primed for future success in part because of Zaidi draft picks like Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Patrick Bailey, and Tyler Fitzgerald, with top prospect Bryce Eldridge expected to debut next year.

I remain of the position that Zaidi did a much better job than he gets credit for, and his tenure will likely look better in hindsight, as prospects continue to develop. But what Giants fan doesn’t want Posey running the show?

May it be a long and glorious ride, Buster.