Giants' precipitous decline forced Buster Posey to change his approach

San Francisco Chronicle​

2 days ago

The San Francisco Giants were a half-game out of a wild-card spot and likely buyers at the trade deadline when the All-Star break commenced.
Just over two weeks later, the team has plummeted in the standings and president of baseball operations Buster Posey, in his first year at the helm, pivoted hard.
'We wanted to be in a different position to add, unfortunately the way we played, we had to make a decision here to try to add some talent that we felt like helped us going forward,' Posey said.
When the final buzzer rang at 3 p.m. PT, the Giants had traded two longtime pillars, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and closer Camilo Doval, to the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees, respectively. Posey hinted that they'd be selling when Tyler Rogers was shipped to the New York Mets on Wednesday.
In return, the Giants received a bounty of prospects that they hope will contribute over the long term. Jose Butto, a 27-year-old reliever acquired from the Mets, is the only addition who will be immediately added to the big-league team, general manager Zack Minasian said.
Posey's first trade deadline as the president of baseball operations saw the Giants officially move from hopeful contender to a re-tooling team. Their 13-26 record since June 13, when they were tied for first in the National League West — compounded by having lost 10 of their first 12 games of the unofficial second half — prompted Posey to start thinking long term over short.
'I don't know that there was an 'aha' moment where we said, 'We have to do this,'' Posey said. 'I think Zack and I, and (assistant general manager) Jeremy (Shelley) had been watching the type of games we're playing and we wish we were in a spot we were adding, but as poorly as we've played since the All-Star break, we all felt it was the best decision for the organization to get pieces back that will help us in the future.'
Though Posey acknowledged a run at a wild-card berth is not off the table this season, the deadline moves and their position in the standings speak to their waving the white flag. They're six games back of the Padres for the last wild-card spot — with the Reds and Cardinals in between — and San Diego went on a deadline flurry, making five trades and adding seven major-league players, including former A's closer Mason Miller and outfielders Ramon Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn.
Posey had no crystallized perspective on why the Giants — one of baseball's hottest teams to start the year — have plummeted so far.
'No, I can't explain it,' he said. 'I mean, I think we all wish we had something that we could concretely point to, but it's just a really rough stretch.
'Look, I had a conversation with Bob (Melvin) after the Rogers trade. From my end, the expectation is for us to go out and we're going to play hard. We're going to play hard the rest of the way. The expectation is we need to play better. There's — I've said this from the beginning — a brand of baseball that our fans expect, and that's going to always be the goal. The goal is, every day, to go out and try to win the game in front of you.'
Posey was quick to say that he sees this team as a contender in 2026, and despite all the moves the team's complexion hasn't changed much. The Yastrzemski and Rogers trades capitalized on expiring contracts. Complicating a potential trade of Wilmer Flores, also on an expiring contract, is his 10-and-5 rights: 10 years of MLB service time and five spent with the Giants afford him a veto on any trade.
The Doval trade to the Yankees allowed the Giants to take advantage of a market hungry for team-controlled back-end relief while providing a player like Randy Rodriguez an opportunity to seize the closer spot.
What's the objective for the rest of 2025 now that the playoffs appear off the table? There's an opportunity to get a look at some of their young outfield depth.
Marco Luciano has been hitting left-handed pitching in Triple-A this year and is very likely to get playing time down the road. Luis Matos will get more regular playing time and Jerar Encarnacion, off the injured list soon, should, too. Wade Meckler and Grant McCray are on tap to be recalled as well. Perhaps Drew Gilbert, acquired in the Mets trade though not on the 40-man roster, will get playing time with the big-league team.
Landen Roupp is expected back shortly after his injured list stint, but the rotation gaps could give opportunity for Blade Tidwell — acquired from the Mets — to pitch with the Giants.
Don't expect top prospect Bryce Eldridge to make his big league debut this year. He spent a good chunk of the year nursing a wrist injury and is still learning how to play first base.
'We'll probably get different looks at some different players over the next couple of months,' Posey said. 'Regardless of where you are in the standings and how poorly you've played, you're just hoping to see that there are tiny incremental gains daily. Whether that's in work leading up to the game or game itself. Few things we'll be looking for.'