Giants oust Farhan Zaidi, elevate Buster Posey to president of baseball operations
The San Francisco Giants announced that they have parted ways with Farhan Zaidi and have named three-time World Series champion Buster Posey as president of baseball operations.
In a statement Monday, owner Greg Johnson said change was needed after San Francisco missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Giants ended their 2024 campaign Sunday with an 80-82 record.
"We appreciate Farhan's commitment to the organization and his passion for making an impact in our community during his six years with the Giants. Ultimately, the results have not been what we had hoped, and while that responsibility is shared by all of us, we have decided that a change is necessary," Johnson said. "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."
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 30, 2024
Zaidi leaves behind a mixed tenure after six years in the organization. While the 2021 Giants squad set a record with 107 wins in the regular season, the team has had a non-winning record five out of the last six seasons, including a 29-31 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and an 81-81 record in 2022.
Following recent off-seasons, Zaidi also faced increased scrutiny among fans after the team missed out on multiple superstar free-agents, including Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
The collapse of a $350 million, 13-year deal involving Carlos Correa over concerns about his right ankle also sparked controversy, until the New York Mets passed on the free agent slugger over similar concerns. Correa eventually returned to the Minnesota Twins.
Zaidi's departure is the second major shakeup for the Giants in as many years, after the team fired manager Gabe Kapler in the final week of the 2023 season and hired Bob Melvin, a former Giants player and longtime skipper with the Oakland A's.
Described by Johnson as a "perfect fit" to lead the front office, Posey is taking an expanded role in the Giants organization after his retirement following the 2021 season and joining the team's ownership group the following year.
During his playing days, which included the championship years of 2010, 2012 and 2014, Posey was also named National League MVP in 2012 and was selected to the All-Star Game seven times.
"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 to San Francisco," Johnson said.
Posey will be introduced in his new role alongside Johnson and Melvin at a briefing at Oracle Park on Tuesday.