Just a day after another Giants’ season unceremoniously ended with a bland loss to bury a third straight bland campaign, the team made waves on Monday morning, as the Giants announced that Farhan Zaidi had been relieved of his duties of President of Baseball Operations. Not just that, but franchise legend Buster Posey was simultaneously announced as his replacement.
When San Francisco sports fans woke up on Monday morning, they probably expected to consume a steady diet of 49ers content after the team got back on track with a dominant win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. The possibility of Giants news was definitely on the table, with the Monday after a disappointing regular season often lending itself to regime changes, especially those that fans have been clamoring for for much of the campaign.
So when the hammer did officially fall on Farhan Zaidi around 10am local time, it wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Love him, hate, him, or anything in between, his less than glamorous exit was foreseen by most. The real shocker came with the Posey bombshell. One of the most beloved players in the illustrious history of the Giants on the field, will now be at the controls in the front office.
The news broke just minutes into the Papa and Lund show, as they took over for Murph and Markus and were immediately fed the news. Here’s how it looked in the Casino Matrix Progressive Jackpot studio as Papa and Lund reacted.
While the move is inarguably very exciting, it is far from a slam dunk in terms of on field success. Posey was a Hall of Fame player, the epitome of a winner on the field. But only time will tell if that will translate as a member of the brass. There are plenty of examples of a move like this going in either direction, in plenty of different sports. Will Posey end up a champion again, delivering like Chris Young did with the 2023 Rangers? Or will his prowess on the field be limited to just the, like Yankees legend Derek Jeter in a front office role with the Marlins?
San Francisco Chronicle MLB reporter Susan Slusser joined Papa and Lund shortly after the news broke on Monday. She detailed the process and projected immense confidence in Buster Posey as a baseball savant. Posey having a prominent role didn’t surprise the media, but the swiftness and totality of this change may have.
“I am actually a little surprised,” Slusser said to kick things off. “I thought there was a possibility that there might be a little bit of a re-shuffle with Buster taking on a more pronounced role. But they just did the actual break. Which I can see, you want a guy to have a clear slate.”
She was then asked by Greg Papa if the move is just as much of a PR move as it is a baseball move. She acknowledged that, but reiterated the tangible confidence the organization and most in baseball have for the former MVP and three time champion.
Check out KNBR’s comprehensive coverage of the Giants’ changing of the guard all day long on KNBR 680 AM and 104.5 FM, as well as on the KNBR YouTube and Twitch. Podcasts of each segment can be found at knbr.com and on KNBR socials.