Buster Posey ready to recruit MLB free agents as Giants search for identity

SAN FRANCISCO – When the Giants made their first real push for a $150 million MLB free agent in 2014 and met with Jon Lester, Buster Posey was in the room. He was there when they met young Shohei Ohtani in an Orange County conference room in 2017, and he took a call from Bryce Harper when the superstar made his decision a year later.

Late in his career, Posey began joking about his lack of success as a recruiter. But that's the role he just signed on for, and now that he's president of baseball operations, the stakes are much higher.

Asked Tuesday how he will handle that part of the job, Posey said his goal is to simply be honest.

“All I can say is my honest perspective,” he told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I can share my vision and my hopes and expectations for this organization and city, drawing on experiences from my own time as a player and how special it is to play here. I know I'm biased, but I believe this is one of the best places to play baseball in the world and one of the most beautiful places to do it.”

Posey will immediately have a chance to show whether this pitch is as effective as the thousands he called as a big leaguer. The Giants will once again be working with some of the top free agents on the market, including a player who is currently still on their staff.

Blake Snell will opt out of his two-year contract after the World Series, but Posey didn't signal much when asked about the left-hander. He called him one of the game's best starting players and noted how dominant he was in the second half.

“He's obviously someone we need to take a close look at and make a decision as a group,” Posey said.

This group will consist of people who are technically his superiors, but also his peers. Posey has a three-year contract as president of baseball operations, but that's not a traditional setup. Farhan Zaidi reported to CEO Greg Johnson and the board, but Posey has been on the board since acquiring a small ownership interest and that won't change after he takes on a new role.

Buster Posey, president of baseball operations, must decide how much he wants Snell on next year's team. Owner Buster Posey will have to decide what this means for payroll for the rest of the decade, but he won't be alone. Johnson said the Giants “want to make smart decisions” and they need to balance long-term flexibility with short-term needs.

Snell was part of a free agent class that gave the Giants the luxury tax for the first time since Posey's playing days, but Johnson didn't rule out being a repeat offender.

“If we go over, we go over,” Johnson said.

What the Giants likely won't do this offseason is repeat one of Zaidi's most common plays. He regularly brought in high-profile players on two-year contracts and an opt-out. Some, like pitchers Carlos Rodón and Sean Manaea, left after one year. Ross Stripling and Michael Conforto have called it quits after disappointing first seasons.

Johnson told NBC Sports Bay Area that he believes the structure of these deals contributed to the Giants' lack of identity, a persistent problem in recent years. It's been difficult for fans to accept players who may only be a few months old.

“I think part of the identity problem is that we're trying to be competitive and do individual contracts where you have someone for a year. They're playing for a contract knowing they probably won't be here long-term,” Johnson said. “I think it creates a different atmosphere in the clubhouse when you have free agents like that here that might have a good one for one year business, but the problem with (these contracts) is that if they do well, they're gone (and) if not, we'll pay them for another year. I think I'd rather see less of this in the future transactions are concluded.

Posey knows how important continuity is. He signed a massive contract extension after his MVP season in 2012 and was instrumental in the Giants retaining Matt Chapman to a six-year extension. As the Giants look to add others to their core, Johnson believes Posey's recent experience as a player “will absolutely be helpful.”

“It's nice to have someone who speaks your language and who you trust and can talk to directly,” he said.

Despite all the nice words from both parties lately, the Giants don't think a reunion with Snell is likely. Maybe that will change with new leadership, but Posey also saw firsthand how important being homegrown was for the Giants. He was teammates with Barry Zito, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, all of whom signed massive deals in free agency and struggled to varying degrees to live up to expectations.

If the Giants would rather spend money on hitting support, they have outfielder Juan Soto at their disposal. Zaidi took a lot of heat for competing against Ohtani, Harper, Aaron Judge and others, but the Giants didn't get those guys before his tenure either.

On the surface, it seems like Posey has to walk a fine line as he tries to improve the roster while also catering to the financial desires of his co-owners. But Johnson said he sees no complications. He said the board works together on the largest deals.

“I don’t think it matters at all,” he said. “He owns a small share. I don’t think that would be a hindrance to his thinking about how we would go about and build a team.”

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