Key difference between Posey and Zaidi revealed by young SF Giants infielder

Whenever there is a regime change in an MLB front office, there are going to be some stark contracts between those regimes. When Buster Posey took over as president of baseball operations after Farhan Zaidi was fired, it was not clear how he would be different.

A few month's into Posey's tenure, it is clear that a key difference between him and Zaidi is in how transparent they are.

At the offset of the offseason, Posey made it clear that he wanted to land a shortstop for the team. He did just that by signing Willy Adames. At least with that pursuit, there were no big games or smokescreens. The former catcher is a straightforward guy so he made a straightforward move by signing the best shortstop available in free agency.

Not only has he been transparent with the fanbase, he has also been transparent with players on the Giants.

Transparency is key difference between Posey and Zaidi for SF Giants

In a recent interview on KNBR, 2024 breakout rookie infielder Tyler Fitzgerald spoke about how transparent Posey was with him when the Giants signed Adames.

"From the first time I talked to Buster this offseason, it's been full transparency with where he sees me, where he sees the team going. And that's something that I respect...For the Adames signing he gave me a call and filled me in on the gaps. Just, stuff like that goes a long way."

This stands in stark contrast to how Zaidi handled the ultimately unsuccessful Carlos Correa signing. When that signing was first agreed to, franchise legend shortstop Brandon Crawford had not been talked to about any potential position change.

That is borderline unforgivable when dealing with someone like Crawford who, at the time, had never played any position other than shortstop in his career. Even if he did not like the plan, he was at least owed a discussion with Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler to discuss their vision prior to the Correa deal that ultimately fell through.

One could argue that Fitzgerald was not owed any sort of explanation for the Adames signing. The rookie was playing out of position last season and found a home at shortstop because he got hot with his bat and could not be taken out of the lineup. He did alright defensively at the position at times, but it was clear that there was room for improvement.

Yet, as a former player, Posey understands that the ego of a young player can be fragile. If Posey was not up front with Fitzgerald throughout the offseason, one could forgive Fitzgerald for thinking the Adames signing was some sort of indictment on his performance.

Instead, Posey was clear with Fitzgerald and gave a strong endorsement of Fitzgerald by saying that he sees him as the team's second baseman going into next season.

As for Fitzgerald, he seems eager to help the team win any way he can. Whether that is at second base, in a utility role, or filling in for Adames if he needs a day off, he just wants to help the team win. That is the exact sort of selfless attitude Posey would love to hear from a young player.

Posey's openness with Fitzgerald is eye-opening. It shows that Posey understands the human touch of baseball better than Zaidi ever did which makes sense because he played for over ten seasons. Expect Buster continue to be up front with fans and players alike as he tries to make the Giants a winning franchise again.