Giants Legend Buster Posey Joins SF's Ownership Group; Won 3 World Series with Team

The San Francisco Giants announced Wednesday that franchise legend Buster Posey joined the MLB club's ownership group as a principal partner and member of the board of directors.

"I feel deeply connected to the Giants and the San Francisco Bay Area and hope that my perspective as a former player will be beneficial in growing the game and assisting the organization to build the next championship team both on and off the field," Posey said. "I have always had such great respect for the ownership group, many of whom I've gotten to know through the years, who provided the support for me and my teammates to achieve the successes we did. I also believe that I can learn so much by surrounding myself with business leaders who have been at the top of their respective industries."

The 35-year-old former catcher played his entire career with the Giants, who selected him with the fifth pick in the 2008 draft. His list of accolades includes seven All-Star selections, three World Series titles, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Award and the 2012 NL MVP award. His on-field career ended with his retirement last November.

SFGiants @SFGiants

Today, the #SFGiants announced three-time World Series Champion and seven-time All-Star Buster Posey has become a member of the ownership group. This marks the first time that a former player has joined the organization as a principal partner and member of the Board of Directors. pic.twitter.com/KzmgDRkk3a

Posey's decision to hang up his cleats came as somewhat of a surprise since his final season was one of his best. He compiled an .889 OPS, the second-highest mark of his career, with 18 home runs across 113 games in 2021.

The Georgia native also accomplished the rare feat of remaining a primary catcher while playing into his mid-30s. Many backstops switch to first base or designated hitter in the latter stages. He made 106 appearances behind the dish for San Francisco last year.

He should be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame shortly after he becomes eligible in 2026, perhaps even on the first ballot.

"The reason I'm retiring is I want to be able to do more stuff from February to November with my family," Posey told reporters when he announced his retirement.

He added: "Physically, it's much harder now. And to be honest, it's hard to enjoy it as much when there's physical pain that you're dealing with on a daily basis."

Now he'll be tasked with helping the Giants regain their status as a perennial championship contender. Since winning three titles in a five-year span (2010-14), they've qualified for the playoffs just twice in seven years, and they'll soon be eliminated from this year's postseason race barring an unprecedented late-season surge.

"Upon his retirement last year, Buster said that he would always stay involved with the organization and when he approached us to express his interest in joining the ownership group, we were thrilled that he wanted to make this type of commitment," Giants chairman Greg Johnson said. "It is rare for a former player to join his own team’s ownership with the desire to have an active role."

Posey becomes the 31st principal partner in San Francisco Baseball Associates LLC, the club's ownership group. Spotrac estimated the catcher earned $153.9 million during his playing career.

In March, the Giants ranked fifth on Forbes' annual list of MLB team valuations with a projected value of $3.5 billion, a 10 percent increase from 2021.