SAN FRANCISCO -- After playing just a handful of games following the 2008 MLB Draft, Buster Posey entered the following season as the No. 14 prospect on Baseball America's top 100. A year later, he was up to No. 7, which proved to be far too low for a player who would lead the Giants to a World Series title that fall.
There haven't been a lot of Giants position player prospects in the last 15 years to even approach the type of hype that Posey had. Brandon Belt was a sneaky-good prospect during his meteoric rise to the big leagues, Joey Bart spent a few years in the top 50, and Marco Luciano peaked at No. 12 before his slide, but this is not an organization that's used to having guys in the top 10 or even top 20 on the lists every spring.
That could change in a few months. Bryce Eldridge was up to No. 35 on Baseball America's most recent update, which didn't even account for his quick run through Double-A. As Posey takes over, he is receiving one hell of a gift from outgoing president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, whose group drafted Eldridge in the first round in 2023.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
It's now up to Posey to decide when Eldridge will be ready, and really, the Giants couldn't have asked for a better situation. The new man in charge knows how difficult it can be to try and live up to the expectations that will be placed on the young first baseman
"I think every player is unique," Posey said on Tuesday's "Giants Talk" podcast. "He had a wonderful first full season and I still look at that guy and can't believe he's 19 years old. Just physically, he looks like he could be 30."
Eldridge will turn 20 in three weeks, while he plays in the Arizona Fall League. Posey was there in 2009, although it was one of the few stops in his career that he did not master. He was exhausted from two years of continuous baseball and hit just .225, but a few months later, he was in the big leagues for good.
The Giants want Eldridge to work on his first base defense in Arizona, and it seems likely that he now will get a bit more time to master the intricacies of playing a relatively new position. Zaidi believed in pushing hitting prospects when they showed mastery of a level, but at times in 2024, others in the organization felt he was being aggressive to try and show that the Giants had more in their farm system than outsiders think.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
There certainly would have been additional pressure on Zaidi to get Eldridge to the big leagues early in 2025, but Posey can take more of a long-range view with young players. He might have the greatest job security of any executive in baseball.
Posey might also bring a new view to the position in general. LaMonte Wade Jr. was one of Zaidi's greatest finds and the addition of Wilmer Flores wasn't far behind. But Wade is arbitration-eligible and the future is uncertain for Flores, who can opt into his deal, but was notably absent down the stretch, going home before the final series at Oracle Park.
Zaidi didn't plan to pursue any free agents who might block Eldridge long-term and Posey figures to take the same approach. But he might have different thoughts on how the Giants should handle the transition.
Could he, for example, try and sign former All-Star Game teammate Paul Goldschmidt? The longtime Giant-killer could keep the position open until Eldridge is ready, and then perhaps split time at DH with the top prospect.
Posey didn't provide many details on any front Wednesday. He was two days into the job, but he already has seen enough to know that he might have a head start on rebuilding the lineup.
"I think what's most impressive about (Eldridge) and what I've heard on the other reports and what my eyes have seen is just his presence in the box," he said. "There are certain guys that just look like hitters and he's one of those guys that looks like a hitter. Obviously, again as a group, we're going to make decisions for what's best for the player and best for the organization, and we're going to continue to evaluate Bryce going forward."
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast
