Why Posey believes Minasian is perfect Giants general manager fit originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — When Buster Posey took his place on the podium on Oct. 1, Zack Minasian, like everyone else in the organization, was listening closely. His eyebrows raised as the new boss described what he was looking for in the next Giants general manager.
“I think that sounds like me,” Minasian thought to himself.
On his first day as president of baseball operations, Posey said he wanted his No. 2 to have a background in scouting, which obviously fit Minasian, who was promoted Friday after previously being the organization’s vice president of pro scouting. But there were other traits that Posey mentioned that day that also fit Minasian.
“I think someone that is relatable, someone that can not only empower the players or agents that they may come in contact with, but also can relate to the guys or girls on our coaching staff, our medical staff, our strength staff,” Posey said back then. “Because all of those people matter so much for us to accomplish our ultimate goal.”
Minasian is a people person, someone who is eminently comfortable talking not just with star players, but also prospects, coaches, scouts, the media and everyone else you encounter on a day-to-day basis as a general manager. This is, quite literally, in his blood. His baseball career started when he was five and served as a batboy and clubhouse attendant for the Texas Rangers, who employed his father as clubhouse manager. His brother is GM of the Angels and a third Minasian works for the Braves.
Posey saw that comfort level from the other side as a player. Minasian was hired right after Farhan Zaidi took over in 2018 and was part of the front office as the catcher’s playing career came to an end.
As Posey sat down with Minasian for an official interview earlier this month, he thought back to how he has “great feel” in the clubhouse. They talked about how the role meant being available to players at all times, but also not being in the way. Posey recalled his own experiences with Minasian.
“It never felt intrusive whatsoever, and I think that’s kind of the way that I want to operate as well, is I want to be available to the players and the staff, but at the same time I do have the perspective of what it was like as a player and sometimes, depending on the flow of the season and what’s going on, you might not want to see somebody’s face from the front office,” Posey said on Friday.
After…