San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Will team follow Posey’s lead with big swing?
PEBBLE BEACH — Buster Posey didn’t hold back. He figured this is his third time playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, so he might as well let it rip.
That’s what Posey did Friday on No. 18, crushing his drive pure and long and safely down the famous fairway. Then he unleashed another mighty swing, trying to reach the green in two shots … only to see the ball sail into the Pacific Ocean.
Maybe this counts as a reminder for the San Francisco Giants: Be aggressive, to a point.
Posey is now part of the Giants’ ownership group, so his view on the team matters. After he completed his second and final Pro-Am round, he stopped behind the 18th green and chatted with the Chronicle.
The Giants have made some notable moves this offseason, adding center fielder Jung Hoo Lee and pitchers Robbie Ray (recovering from elbow surgery) and Jordan Hicks. But they also whiffed on the biggest free-agent prize, Shohei Ohtani, who magnified the Giants’ latest frustrating offseason by joining the rival Dodgers.
Now, with players set to report to spring training in less than two weeks, time is running short. Several marquee free agents remain available, including starting pitcher Blake Snell and third baseman Matt Chapman.
So do the Giants have another move in them?
“I think it’s feasible, for sure,” Posey said. “I don’t want to speak like I’m the one making the decisions, but you just have to gauge the market and try to make a good decision. Those guys are great players and anybody would love to have them. At the same time, Farhan (Zaidi) has to make a decision not just for 2024 but ’25-6-7 as well.”
That’s logical, but Giants fans are thirsty for a return to the playoffs after two consecutive mediocre seasons (81-81 and 7983) cost manager Gabe Kapler his job, creating the opening filled by Bob Melvin.
Less than an hour after Posey walked off the No. 18 green at Pebble, so did Giants chairman Greg Johnson. He didn’t flinch when asked about his team making additional moves, given the players still available on the free-agent market.
“Yes, there are a lot of good players still out there,” Johnson said. “There’s definitely some people we’re still very interested in.”
Asked about adding pitching
and defense (Posey’s preferred emphasis), and specifically Snell or Chapman, Johnson smiled and said only, “There are definitely pieces that could fit.”
Johnson also offered a slice of news, saying Zaidi’s two-year
contract extension (through 2026) as president of baseball operations was a “done deal.” The Giants announced Zaidi’s extension in October when Melvin was hired, and Johnson said then the extension would be finalized
quickly.
That didn’t exactly happen. Even though it was believed Zaidi signed his extension weeks ago, it apparently became finalized only recently.
“It’s effectively done,” Johnson said. “Farhan has been so busy and I’m down here. He probably has signed it; I’m probably the one who hasn’t because I haven’t been around enough. But we’re done.”
As for on-field matters, the Giants cleared some salary and roster space with Friday’s trade of pitcher Ross Stripling to the A’s. That saved $9.25 million, which could be used to lure another free agent to San Francisco.
The Giants committed $113 million over six years to Lee, $44 million over four years to Hicks (moving from the bullpen to the rotation) and $8.25 million over two years to backup catcher Tom Murphy. Ray has $73 million and three years left on his contract but an opt-out after 2024.
Even so, there’s still a feeling the Giants need to do something else to keep up with the Dodgers and other teams in the National League West.
“Our front office is always looking to try and do better,” Posey said. “But think back to not just our team, but any team
with a sustainable, winning formula — you’ve got to have young guys come up and be impactful.
“Hopefully, some of those guys getting their feet wet last year gives them confidence going into spring. And they can seize the opportunity and have a great year, … because the city is just hungry to latch on to this generation of players.”
Posey pointed to the wave of homegrown players who fueled World Series titles in 2010, ’12 and ’14, beyond himself: Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Brian Wilson.
Johnson echoed the point, especially on the mound.
“I think we’re going to have to rely on some younger pitching,” Johnson said. “We think we have some credible arms people haven’t really focused on, and we’re going to give them a chance.
“I think it’s going to be critical for these young guys to step up at the start of the season, when you have Ray and (Alex) Cobb out for a bit.”