Next SF Giants general manager may end up being a scapegoat for Buster Posey

As the SF Giants continue to search for a general manager, more reporting and takes are out there on what Buster Posey and the Giants may be looking for. Could a big part of the job be giving cover to Posey if things go bad?

Recent reporting from people like Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area has seemed to suggest that the Giants are looking for someone who will handle the day-to-day in the front office while also service as a public-facing figure who will answer tough questions about roster moves.

Bryan Murphy at McCovey Chronicles has written about the GM search and very poignantly recently wrote,"[T]his reads on paper as a thankless job, one where the public-facing aspect could very well be to serve as a human shield for team legend Buster Posey."

Next SF Giants GM may just end up being a scapegoat

This is a very valid point. The person for this role is in a bit of a no-win situation. Let's say that the Giants do turn things around and get back to the postseason. You already know that Buster Posey is getting the lion's share of the credit for the turnaround.

On the flip side of that coin, if the Giants struggle and continue their mediocrity of the last few years then whoever the general manager is will be an easy scapegoat especially if they are more involved in day-to-day decisions.

This is not to suggest that Posey will publicly shift blame to anyone else if the team does not perform well. If the Giants continue to struggle, Posey will likely be the first to accept blame and say that he needs to do better for the team.

But in the eye of public opinion, it seems likely that fans will have a much easier time getting mad at and criticizing a new face at general manager rather than Posey the franchise legend.

This is all very premature, though. The Giants do not yet have a general manager and we do not yet fully know what Posey's role will be and how hands on he will be on a day-to-day basis. Buster may wind up being just as involved and front-facing as Farhan Zaidi was and may be just as criticized if the team underperforms.

But by reading the tea leaves from the reporting out there, it does seem like whoever is in the general manager role may be in a tough spot and will receive a lot of the blame if the Giants do not perform up to expectations.