Posey looks ahead to ’19

Buster Posey sat by his locker Saturday morning, his crutches resting on an adjoining chair, welcoming visiting reporters and team employees one by one like Vito Corleone in the opening scene of “The Godfather.”

Rather than having someone whacked, Posey instead acknowledged that watching a series this important instead of participating is difficult, then volunteered a strong desire for the coming years.

“If there’s one thing I want to do, it’s play the Dodgers in the NLCS,” Posey said. “It would be exciting here in the Bay Area and exciting in L.A., two storied franchises. It will happen eventually.”

It could have happened in 2014, but the Dodgers lost to the Cardinals in a four-game Division Series.

Now five weeks out of hip surgery, Posey said he has had no setbacks. He hopes to shed the crutches over the next two weeks and will continue his rehab at a Bay Area facility over the offseason.

This will be a different winter

for Posey, who has gone home every fall knowing the front office would try to put a contending team on the field the following year. Now, he has no idea what the front office will do, or even who it will be.

Posey said his injury will help keep his mind off the turbulent offseason because of the “tunnel vision” he needs to rehab his hip in to be ready for Opening Day next spring. Asked if management has sought his thoughts on the club’s direction, Posey said no.

“I try to be very cautious about that,” he said. “I’m available if my opinion is wanted. I try to look at it like they’re the best in the world at that job. They’ll make the best decisions moving forward.”

Rodriguez’s year: Dereck Rodriguez’s runs-allowed progression over his last five starts was one, two, three, four and five, which suggests his first foray into September baseball might have taken a toll.

“September is a whole different animal,” he said.

Still, Rodriguez finished with a 2.81 ERA, the lowest by a Giants rookie who threw at least 100 innings since Hoyt Wilhelm’s 2.43 in 1952.

Rodriguez will retreat to Miami for his offseason work (alongside Pablo Sandoval), satisfied with his performance.

“I’m proud of the season I had coming from where I was last year,” he said., “I'm superhappy about what I did this year.” Briefly: Outfielder Austin Slater’s MRI exam revealed a mild right-elbow sprain, which should be healed by spring training, Bochy said. Slater injured it on a throw Saturday night . ... Tony Watson ,a Dodger last year, inherited runners on the corners with nobody out in the sixth and prevented L.A. from scoring.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.