The San Francisco Giants parted ways with Farhan Zaidi and named Buster Posey his replacement in the role of president of baseball operations, the team announced Monday.
The Giants hired Zaidi in November 2018 after the latter completed a five-year stint as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
San Francisco, however, missed the playoffs in five of the six seasons under the watch of Zaidi — with the 2021 campaign serving as the exception. The Giants posted a franchise-record 107 wins in that year and captured the National League West title with manager Gabe Kapler at the helm.
San Francisco, however, struggled over the next two seasons, leading Zaidi to fire Kapler just before the end of the 2023 campaign.
With Bob Melvin serving as the team’s new manager, the Giants finished 80-82 this season to reside in fourth place in the NL West.
“Ultimately the results are not what we had hoped, and while that responsibility is shared by all of us, we have decided that a change is necessary,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said in a statement. “While these decisions are not easy, we believe it is time for new leadership to elevate our team so we can consistently contend for championships.
“… 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 in San Francisco.”
A 2012 NL MVP and seven-time All-Star, Posey batted .302 with 158 homers and 729 RBIs in 1,371 career games with the Giants. He retired after the 2021 season and joined the team’s ownership group in September 2022.
