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.
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"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.
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"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 that initial press conference, Posey spent much of October on the phone or on Zoom calls, and not just with candidates. He asked for the opinions of others around the game that he has known and trusted for years. Minasian's name constantly came up, and Posey found that his ideal partner had been nearby the whole time.
"I'll be honest, I haven't told Zack this -- I didn't go into this process thinking that Zack was honestly even a candidate, so when I got word that he was somebody that I should look into, I was open-minded," he said on a Zoom call with reporters on Friday. "But if I'm again being honest I probably didn't see us sitting right here a month later once this process started. No offense, Zack."
It appears that, at the very least, Posey has somebody who will be a comfortable partner as the Giants try to right the ship. He said Friday that he's excited to attack this opportunity with a fellow exec "I know I'm going to enjoy working with."
The two will kick into another gear next week when they travel to San Antonio for the annual GM Meetings, which Posey has never attended. Asked how the work will be divided, Posey said it "will be a shared responsibility."
Minasian, a veteran of GM and Winter Meetings, is expected to take on many of the day-to-day responsibilities for the front office, working closely with assistant GM Jeremy Shelley, a holdover from not just the Zaidi regime, but also the Sabean-Evans one. Posey said he will travel with the team at times, but Minasian is expected to be more visible on a daily basis. Zaidi's general managers rarely dealt with the media or public, but Minasian figures to take on many of those duties.
The two will need to share responsibilities, because both are young fathers. Posey has four young children but Minasian may be getting less sleep right now. His first child was born during this past season.
Like everyone in the front office, Minasian was unsure about his immediate future when he left the ballpark after the final game of a disappointing season. But when he met with Posey, he made it clear that he was a Giant, first and foremost, regardless of what his official title would be in 2025. His wife works in the city and his son was born here. He wanted to continue with the organization and was elated when Posey asked him to interview for a promotion.
"I've been around the game for my whole life and thinking about the GM role, it's so far above what I ever thought and is such a dream," he said. "I don't think you really think it's realistic at times. I tried to get out of my head and really just focus on working. The offseason is starting.
"I needed to be prepared, I wanted us to be prepared, especially with a new boss coming in. At the time my focus was that I wanted to run the best pro scouting department and be prepped on every team going into the offseason for my new boss."