Should focus how players hit against the better pitchers Also I like the RBI incentive in a contract

I had to put at 2 times speed to listen.

You can have Ha Seong Kim. He only hit 227 this year. He won't even be available to play until May or June.

Adames, Santander and Walker +Fried

Does Ha Seong Kim smoke?

It's a game of speed. So many opportunities to swipe bags - and bleep...nuthin'.

They should be going after Adames. Not an injured player.

It would be wayyyy smarter of Buster to look specifically at average with RISP, or more generally, conversion % with RISP (how much of the time you score the RISP). The bottom line is that, when adjusted for opportunity, better hitters drive in more runs. There may be slight deviations from that trendline (and that’s completely worth analyzing if it’s statistically significant) but better hitters are better. It would be dishonest to pay people only on their RBI in a vaccuum

So Giants become a SK and Dodgers become Japan basically

OPS is a flawed stat. A player can inflate it by having a walk, strikeout or home run approach but lack having situational or well rounded hitting skills. Joc Peterson had a higher OPS than Freddie Freeman this year but any player will tell you that Freeman is a far more skilled hitter. RBI and OPS are not great stats to compare, but I think Posey is just valuing the team aspect of scoring a run. Get em on, get em over, get em in.

I agree with Buster too. After watching so many runners left on base and batters not even trying to fight off pitches to see another pitch you lose chance to drive in runs. The more pitches a batter sees the better there chances to get a hit. Let' s also get a mind set of driving in the runs. We will end up with more clutch hitters that way who will not just give up there at bat.

That is the difference between a winning and losing team.

That comment from him came from the Giants inability to drive in runners from third with one out or less. Don't over think it. He wants players to get the job done when the game is on the line.

The offense might not have been "bad" this year, but it was the most frustrating I have seen on a non-garbage team. RISP was a MAJOR problem this year, we were bottom 3 in that stat. The infield is pretty bad save for Chapman who is great but 3 of 4 positions being underperformers is not a winning team. But the top end talent for position players is just not good enough.

Yeah, don't sell low on Doval, wouldn't be shocked if last season his head was just not into it because of not getting an extension done with Farhan and because of Melvin mismanagement. If there's a legit good trade that's fine, otherwise keep him and wait, Walker might be great as a closer, but I'm not sure he's yet a sure thing at that, he has been a closer for how much? A month? He did look really good for sure, but still...

I understand we are in need of a ss but what about the outfield? Is there any idea they throw money toward Soto?

Kim ending up with the Giants would be the less surprising thing happening in this free agency, but i also see Adames as a perfect fit here, as a player but also in terms of personality. Either way I'd be happy with either one, i just wonder if Kim is gonna cost much less, cause if that's the case eh, let's say Adames wants 160/6 (so, around 26 aav) and Kim is ok with 85/5 (17 aav, somewhat the same of Jung-hoo Lee btw) while not costing us draft picks and international pool money, should we pay that much more just for the power Adames brings to the table?

Buster is right

We need Willy bad! With Kim as a plan B if Willy signs elsewhere

Posey’s right all season long we watched our players not deliver with risp and continually strike out looking. While we watched good teams spoil pitches and deliver in the clutch. Something needs to change. I remember this year we lost a completely winnable game where there was a runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs and LWJ batting. He could’ve tied it or walked off (I don’t remember which) but it just seemed like he was looking for the walk when all we needed was some contact

Why not Adames and Kim for SS and 2B and move Fitzgerald to a utility role backing up infield and outfield?

Think you looked into the RBI vs. OPS quote a bit too much. Buster is focused on shifting the mindset of all hitters within the organization. Put the ball in play, be tough with 2K, have selfless at-bats and prioritize executing situationally rather than trying to hit a HR every AB. Think about what the 2010/2012/2014 Giants offenses did well. They took tough at bats and executed, add studs on the mound and good defense = winning formula and the new Giants culture under BP28.

Buster's quote about RBIs is hopefully a sign that the Giants will be going hard for Adames this winter. His overall slashline isn't the prettiest but he consistently overperforms with runners on. 1.072 OPS with RISP last season and is averaging 97 RBI over the past 3 years. The Giants should sign both Adames and Kim to lock down SS/2B for the next 5+ years.

I agree with Buster here. You gotta give him time. And calm down the analytics a little bit.

Would you trade Dovall to the Blue Jays straight up for BichetteBoth had bad years.

I think if you look etc the Giants over the last year, Posey's assertion makes great sense. The most frustrating thing about the Giants has been their inability to drive in runs with one or two outs. Of course the Giants OPS has not been great. But when you look at mid level players I think OPS is probably less important.

Under what system did the Giants win 3 World Series? There is room for both system, but the players still have to play the game. You can have the best analytics in the game, but you still have to have the players.

I agree with Buster. It’s like Beane said, “my stuff doesn’t work in October”. Winning players up their game with ducks on the pond. Not all runs are created equal. Give me a lineup of RBI guys.

Getting runs in is very, very important. How many times in the last number of seasons have the Giants loaded the bags with no outs and DID NOT SCORE?

Could the Giants sign a star first baseman and when Eldridge is ready move that star first baseman to DH? I would rather have Adames if possible over Kim mainly for the bat even though defense could take a hit. I don’t mind Flores or Ray coming back.

I prefer Kim to Adames because the QO for Adames would again cost too many losing draft choices.

Putila didn't earn the opportunity to keep his GM role in SF. The versatility of Giants roster became a weakness not a strength, because Zaidi, Kapler and, at times, Melvin DIDN'T put players in a position to succeed. Posey was right to demote him as players got moved all over the field to get in the lineup, which isn't a model to develop established big league player(s). It's a model for marginal players to get an opportunity to make mlb as a bench, utility player.

Nice analysis of the stats for catchers.

Here’s the honest truth. If you’re a superstar, would you prefer to play for Giants & get constantly walked due to lack of protection OR go to Dodgers where you have protection in lineup with Othani, Betts, Freeman, Muncy? So, stop with teasing Giants fans about pursuing superstars.

I would just like to know what the heck did Putila actually do for the Giants!? I have not heard anything from any source. It sounded like Putila was just a guy that Zaidi HAD to have a body in. That said, I agree that the staff departures are very concerning. I think the Giants are going to be in a horrible position for the foreseeable future. I don't know why people are so blind about Posey being in charge in this context. I REALLY HOPE I am wrong.

Honestly, the San Francisco Giants have been For the last couple of years, a rehab clinic for the MLB, players come to San Francisco, when they’re denied by other teams because those teams know that one way or the other these players are damaged goods, they a two year contract, and The last year is an opt out year Amazingly, towards the end of the first year, they play more, they get better, and then they opt out, and they get a better deal. Somewhere else, I seen the pattern big time, the only reason that Robbie Ray is staying, because he knows the other teams think that he is damaged goods and Robbie Ray knows that he’s not gonna get a two-year deal out of $51 million somewhere else. Until the San Francisco Giants don’t stop making these obnoxious deals, we are never gonna get better, put it this way, you meet a girl, that girl her life is not going on as well, they meet you you bump her up to a better status, they dump you to get to the next guy that’s gonna give her a better situation, basically the San Francisco Giants are a steppingstone for players that are injured, and eventually they leave. It’s almost like being in a relationship, honestly. Blake Snell Amazingly the second half of the year he pitches good, he sits down, almost all of 1/2 season, and by George towards the end of the season he starts playing a lot pitchs good and they upped out, put it this way Blake’s now use the San Francisco Giants as a steppingstone. and that is really frustrating to see friends of mine that follow other teams, have you even told me that that they look at me like if I was in a relationship, and the girl that I’m with is taking advantage of the good of my heart, which is what I just mentioned that people that come to the Giants play the Giants of suckers. i’m going to add this, the next year and a half, Robbie Ray is gonna suck, an amazingly the last four months of the second year, he’s gonna pitch good, again so he can get a better deal somewhere else using the giant as suckers again.

How many SF Giants had more than 15 HRs and 60 rbis???

I'm so pleased that Robbie Ray did not opt out. Wilmer is a good man to have in the dugout.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is a violent rightwing criminal who was involved in January 6 insurrection while being recipient of massive support from Giants owner Charles Johnson. And this includes contributions this year for 2024 election. Whether from a marketing perspective or or thru the lens of basic business morals and standards this is completely outrageous and oppressively nauseating. This is also coming from a franchise that has outright rejected world champion- and clutch bunter- Aubrey Huff... allegedly for his political beliefs !!!! Giants ownership are causing great humiliation and real pain for all real San Francisco Giants fans and this specifically has nothing to do with the usual complaints of the product on the field and ballpark experience overall.

I believe Perry Minasian may be the worst GM in baseball. Even though the Angels are towards the top in payroll, they have been maybe the worst team over the past decade. He has been a part of this failure. They no doubt get the award for stupidest contracts given out: Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, Anthony Rendon… They hand out long contracts to washed up veterans way past their prime. Trout and Ohtani performed, but they expected that just those 2 would mean automatic success. That’s not how baseball works. Most of all, he could have either offered Ohtani an extension during the 2023 szn or trade him. Instead he chose to do nothing the rest of the szn just to let him walk and get nothing in return. The drafting is also very mediocre (Moniak). The front office doesn’t know how to draft/develop, trade, or sign free agents. All I can say is that I hope his brother has a different philosophy…

Hi Ben this is Michael from California what moves do you really think the Sf Giants Need to do to be true contenders with out just saying wait and see because I am getting tired of that approach and saying almost every year be I really enjoy you locked on baseball podcast so can you please let me know next time you are on KNBR 680 I would greatly appreciate it and please keep up the nice work

We'll see how Minasian does, but your Friedman comparison is premature, bad and unfair expectations. Baseball is in his and his family's genes, so he knows the game, which is good. Also, Dodgers BOUGHT a WS title as one of their many stars finally performed in postseason. As for Giants, they need to train and get defensively sound. To borrow from Bull Durham, strike outs are fascist and hide bad defenders who aren't baseball players. Giants need to scour internat'l market, so the sun never sets on their empire.

Zaidi created a bad culture in SF by bringing in marginal players for cheap, with little fundamentals, who can hit and raised minor leaguers who aren't good but useful as utility players even if they weren't good defensively in some spots. Zaidi's enabled K's, DH's and an HR culture diseasing mlb. Look at Yanks loss-Judge takes his eye off the ball and drops it and Cole doesn't cover 1st. It's Zaidi's philosophy in a nutshell.

It needs to happen fast.

Farhan 2.0

IT'S TIME FOR THE GIANTS TO GET NEW OWNERSHIP AND SPEND THE $ THEY NEED TO TO KEEP UP WITH THE GUGGENHEIM TRUST INCORPORATED (WORTH ABOUT $400 BILLION) WHO CAN AFFORD TO BUY UP ALL THE BEST PLAYERS. AND WHY ANY TEAM WANTS TO TRADE THEIR BEST PLAYERS TO THOSE GUGGENHEIM MERCENARIES, AKA LA DODGERS, MAKES ME CRINGE!

Love you Ben! Always take care of number one and that’s you buddy. Take the time you need and we will be right here to support you. Good to hear your voice and see your face. Keep your head up my guy 🧡🖤

Beny you need to get a real job

Get right Ben just pls just don’t end the show the TRUE fans need you 🖤🧡

What about the draft? Only 1 top 100 mlb prospect...We need to develop in house to be able to make trades while building a core.