AUGUST 27: The surgery has been completed as expected, the club announced.
AUGUST 25: Posey will wrap up his 2018 season in time to undergo hip surgery on Monday, as Henry Schulman of the San Francico Chronicle was among those to report on Twitter. He’ll have work done to his labrum and also have some bone spurs removed, as Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic adds on Twitter. Posey is said to be hoping to be prepared for Opening Day 2019, though that seems to be on the optimistic side give that there’s a six-to-eight month timetable.
AUGUST 24: Sabean said in an appearance on KNBR-680 AM in San Francisco last night that after Posey received a second opinion on his hip in New York, surgery is “imminent.” The Giants are in the process of scheduling the procedure.
“Health-wise they say it’s a very common surgery, more so maybe in football,” Sabean explained. “Recovery time is what it is, it’s six-plus months, and if you hit the mark well enough you should be able to perform in spring training and hopefully start the season on time.”
Aug. 21, 9:05pm: Posey tells reporters that he’s known his hip will ultimately require surgical repair for awhile now (Twitter link via Pavlovic). He’s discussing the situation with the Giants’ medical staff on a daily basis and is confident he’ll be ready for Spring Training.
7:25pm: The Giants and Buster Posey are weighing the possibility of hip surgery that would end the catcher’s season, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. No determination has been made just yet, but Posey has been plagued by hip issues for much of the season and it seems the organization is resigned to the fact that he will need to go under the knife.
Executive vice president of baseball ops Brian Sabean tells Shea that it’s a “safe assumption” that Posey will eventually require surgery, and the report cites skipper Bruce Bochy in adding that the surgery would “address” Posey’s labrum and also remove some bone spurs. The timeline remains unclear, however; Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes that he hears Posey will indeed require eventual surgery but is expected to play in tomorrow’s game.
Posey himself tells Shea that the hip has been bothering him for some time but says that there are some days that are better than others. With the Giants currently clinging to the fringes of the NL West picture (seven and a half games out) and the second NL Wild Card spot (seven games out), it’s understandable that Posey would want to continue playing to the extent that his injury allows.
The Giants, though, appear to be taking a fairly practical approach to their dwindling playoff aspirations. Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported last night that Andrew McCutchen has been placed on revocable trade waivers, tweeting that there’s a “very good chance” he’s moved later this week. If that’s the route the Giants plan to take, then it’d only be reasonable to eventually shut Posey down in order to give him the best chance possible to be ready for the 2019 season. He already elected to forgo this year’s All-Star festivities in order to receive treatment on his ailing hip, and there’d be little sense in delaying the inevitable if the organization ultimately raises the metaphorical white flag.
While Posey has still enjoyed a solid season at the plate, hitting .286/.350/.386, he’s managed just five homers and a total of 28 extra-base hits. For a player who has averaged 47 extra-base hits per year and never posted an ISO (slugging percentage minus batting average) south of last year’s .142, that lack of power production represents a precipitous decline in his power output.
Shut him down and get the surgery and recovery going now. Stop being knuckleheads SF FO
If there’s no risk of further injury and delaying the surgery will not affect Posey’s availability at the start of next season, there’s absolutely no reason to shut him down now.
Yea he hasn’t been in a gruesome almost career ending injury that u might want to prevent an ailing player(face of franchise) to lumber through a pointless remaining 1.5 months of a season! Oh and risk something else happening.
I believe it’s the labrum. That can absolutely get worse. In addition, anything with your hips can easily cause you to compensate with other parts of your body and cause problems elsewhere like your knee, ankle, etc. No sense at all in strutting him out there now and have surgery as soon as physically possible.
I agree
We should call giants management
Knuckle head
Oh maybe not
Giants will do stupid things
Get Bryce Harper
Hersaw ???
So, Philly fans.. does Wilson Ramos get enough starts for me to pick him up in fantasy?
Ramos has started four of the six games he’s played since being picked up. I’m surprised he’s still available in a fantasy league!
Maybe look at Hundley also if he isn’t taken in your league.
Especially since busters likely done, Hundley is the only catcher on the roster other than buster and Pablo !
Sandoval was the emergency catcher only. Barring some extremely fluky occurrence, he was guaranteed to not catch a single pitch. Besides, he’s out for the season after hamstring surgery.
Aramis Garcia is on the 40 man and will probably be called up if/when Posey has surgery. Although Trevor Brown is also a possibility since Posey to the 60 day DL would open up a spot on the 40 man roster for him.
Every good fantasy squad needs a wannabe cop.
I wonder if this might be the end of Posey’s career as a catcher; he’s logged a lot of innings back there and he’s at that point where injuries to catchers start piling up – he’s played a lot of games back there now. The bat, if it comes back, would play at first base if he had to move. This might be his Mauer moment.
You mentioned that he’s played a lot of game back there twice.
In one sentence I might add
As a fellow person who has had hip surgery. I wish buster a speedy recovery. I got my spring in my step back
Thanks. Sorry I offended your sensibilities. I don’t generally proofread or edit posts on a free website, especially comments that are going to be in the ether in a few hours, but I’m glad you felt like pointing it out in two separate posts. You must be really fun at parties.
So you do proofread on paid sites?
The comments sections on most websites is pretty much throwaway, which is why it’s petty as heck to comment on grammar and spelling. Like, seriously, who cares? How meaningless is your life if you take these comments sections *that* seriously. I like to talk about baseball with knowledgeable fans – all the trolling (which is what that dude was doing) and taunting and other nonsense is just really sort of sad.
I’d use “are” over “is” in that first sentence.
That’s really funny
No because as a first baseman his production numbers are not that great. At first you want power numbers something Posey lacks. Now you know why they selected a catcher with the 1st round pick.
I’d agree that you want more power from first (somebody should tell the Padres) but if you can get power from some other position you can live with somewhat reduced power from first, especially with Posey’s all-around solid offensive skill set. The Twins had the advantage of a DH slot to get raw power from, of course, while SF doesn’t.
He has a career 151+ wRC+ when at 1B. Those ahead of him since 2010:
-Joey Votto
-Miguel Cabrera.
That’s it. He’s the third best offensive 1B in the game.
His games at 1B are a small sample. He has 746 ABs there, That’s way less than 2 seasons worth. But whether he hits well at 1B or not is irrelevant. His value is behind the plate. If Joey Votto or Miguel Cabrera {or Freddie Freeman, Paul Goldschmidt, or whomever} could play catcher, and be the asset that Posey is, they would be behind the plate not at 1B..
Have you seen the selection at 1B this year? There are like 5 having good years. Moreland, Aguilar, Abreu, Freeman, Goldschmidt, etc. Even players like Abreu, Votto, and Rizzo are down power wise.
It’s not like Belt is that great of a power hitter anyways.
Posey would be fine at 1B with 10-12 HR.
They can make it up elsewhere.
Makes Yadi all the more impressive.
While I completely understand the rational behind it, the way that catchers are handled these days bums me out. As soon as some injuries start happening, there is immediately talk of moving them to DH or 1B. Seems like it’ll be very difficult for anyone to ever break the C records. If you are too good of a hitter, they’ll move you to another position. if you get dinged up, they move you.
I wonder if Yadier is the last in the line of good offensive catchers that stick at the position well into their 30s
Well, Yadi is a tremendous defensive catcher who would have no apparent other position – he’s also remained remarkably healthy for a catcher in his career.
Obviously, Hall of Fame catchers are few and far between – the only position in the HoF with less representation is third base – and I only see yadi and Posey from the current crop. Even Molina has played a handful of games at first in his career,, but he’s obviously too slow to play anywhere else.
“…Yadi is a tremendous defensive catcher who would have no apparent other position…”
That sounds like you don’t quite get how important the position of catcher is. Most teams, if they have a tremendous defensive catcher, will play that guy over a better hitting, but lesser defender. I haven’t looked closely at it in a couple years, but when I did, nearly half of MLB managers were former catchers. Why do you think that is?
Moving Posey from catcher to 1B diminishes both positions. I think a big reason for the Giant’s 3 titles is that Posey was the catcher. You play to win, not to try and protect a guy from injury.
Tell that to the Twins
I understand that catcher is the most important position defensively on the field – it’s why so many teams play catchers who can’t hit. But the idea that you shouldn’t try to “protect a guy from injury” seems a little absurd. Posey has more value on the field than on the DL.
I mean, using the logic that teams should “not try to protect a guy from injury,” taken to its logical extreme, then teams should just destroy pitchers’ arms by letting them go 150 pitches each start for a few months. Teams in any sport need to manage fatigue and injury as well as talent. Maybe Posey performs better as a 40-50 game/year catcher, and he stays on the field. But he’s had a traumatic knee injury already, as well as a hip injury, and he has to squat 150 times/game.
And as to your other claim – “most major league managers are former catchers” – that’s partially true. Most major league managers were backup catchers; because they spent so much time working on both sides of the ball, then spent most of their careers on the bench, talking to pitchers and managers and other players.
The list of Hall of Fame catchers who were *also* good managers is exactly one: Yogi Berra. But yes, career scrub catchers like Bochy became very good managers.
“The list of Hall of Fame catchers who were *also* good managers is exactly one: Yogi Berra.”
Al Lopez would disagree, Mr. coonce.
The idea that teams should let pitchers throw their arms out, is in anyway comparable to playing your best catcher at the position where he’s the most valuable, is patently absurd. I mean seriously dude? That is about the weakest logic I’ve seen in a long time. The Giants get max value with Posey behind the plate. There’s no way a team gets max value by burning up assets, having their pitchers overwork their arms, being useless by August, and shortening their careers significantly.
And your theory as to why catchers become managers is seriously flawed. If it was from sitting on the bench, a lot more former utility guys would be managers. Catchers become managers because the are the nexus between pitching, position play, and hitting. Unlike any other position they face out to the field. This allows those talented enough to control the game, which is how one get to be a good manager.
Majorflaw – Al Lopez is really more a HOF manager who was a good catcher – If Yogi Berra and Al Lopez never managed a game only Yogi would still be in the HOF for his playing career, which I think was Coonces point ( though you are technically correct ).
Although not a hall of famer as a player Joe Torre was at least a fringe hall of famer as a player and transitioned into being a hall of famer as a manager.
Lopez is in the Hall as a manager, not as a catcher; I was referring to players who were Hall of Famers as players. Bochy will be in the Hall of Fame too, but not as a catcher.
Yes of course this is true….BUT
the timetable to Posey moving to 1B was stated when he got injured. It started a ticking clock down to the days the previous injury would catch up to him.
Plus Buster is not built like Molina or catchers of the past.
No, at least nor yet. Not only does Posey want to catch, that is where his value is at its greatest, significantly more so than at 1B. If he looks old and tired it’s probably because of the hip. Just last season he had 34 2Bs with a 126 OPS+. But he really doesn’t hit well enough to play 1B on an everyday basis. You want more power from that position. And him being right-handed isn’t ideal defensively there either.
He’s arguably the best homegrown player the giants have had since Will Clark. Why is he still crouching down behind home plate? He should have been moved after the knee injury. Maybe this could have been avoided?
Posey has said he will not move to first base, as much as I agree that it would increase the length of his career. Posey biggest value to the giants is behind the plate and if that’s where he wants to play his career and it benefits your team, not to mention belt is plenty solid at first and locked up for 5 years to come. Worst moves could happen imo.
It’s sad because he’s literally had this nagging hip issue since the start of the season and is still batting .290. What could have been…
Trade Belt and move him to 1st base next season.
I agree,If Buster plays 1st all season or most of it,his numbers would be so much better.Belt cannot seem to stay healthy or consistent,it might be time to trade him or play some left or maybe at the end of the game have Posey at Catcher and Belt at 1st for defense?Don’t forget the Giants have a big chunk of change coming off the books?
Right, and the result of that is a lesser player at probably the most important position on the field, catcher, as well as having a guy with less power at at power position, 1B. Plus Posey is a less stellar defender at 1B than Belt, and is also the less than ideal right-handed thrower.
Putting Posey at 1B is waste of his most valuable assets. All to try and keep him from getting hurt. You use your best players in the most valuable position they can handle. Anything else is simply conserving resources, not playing to win.
I see Posey at the end of every year wear down and not quite the same offensively.He will end up there just a matter of time without more Concussions,Belt has 5years left,sorry I’ve seen to much of Posey at 1B to know he is not a major step down defensively Not playin to win?a little dramatic there
Posey is decent at 1B. I never said he wasn’t. But he’s still not gold glove caliber like Belt is. He’s also right-handed. So the catcher position is severely diminished by moving Posey out of it, and 1B is marginally so with Posey there.
And why is that dramatic? If you want to preserve Posey by putting him at a much less important position, because he sells tickets and is the face of the franchise, and you don’t mind weakening 2 positions, then play him at 1B. But your best chance to win is Posey catching.
I don’t really disagree with you,I just know something is going to change and it maybe dramatic especially at 2nd,left and right.This team has been inconsistent with runners on
For a couple of years now,Buster being hurt and Belts inconsistency has a lot to do with that?
Don’t forget about Joey Bard he’s raking in the Minors
He is in low A ball and still 2 years away. Bart is not even close to AA for next year.
I could see a Biggio type move to 2B….his power fits there…but it won’t happen….
Lol Radiohead..don’t act like you know what you are talking about
The end of an era.
I feel if they do move him to first base, he’ll just become another Joe Mauer type guy. Decent glove, good contact hitter, gets on base, but has not much power for a power position. Best just to leave him behind the plate if you ask me. Still pretty good defensively, and catches runners stealing at an above average rate.
A 151 wRC+ when playing 1B. He ranked third among all current players.
This notion that 1B has to be a power position is a massive farce. You can generate runs with more than just home runs.
Also, power isn’t limited to home runs.
I totally agree about power, but that doesn’t mean he should go to 1B as a lesser defender, to be replaced by a lesser catcher, when his greatest value is behind the plate. There’s more to the game than hitting, especially at the catching position.
He doesn’t hit doubles either
Not with his hip injury, he doesn’t.
Just get the surgery tomorrow. Zero reason to play anymore games this year.
It’s time to push DH in NL.
No it’s not
Been like that since 1974.
I agree but I also think that they need to figure out logistics for the rest of the season
since right now there is hundley but minor league depth is kind of spotty.
With MadBum set to be a FA next season and Bart rising fast I thought maybe the Giants were going to strip everything down and do a quick rebuild by trading MadBum, Posey and Crawford this offseason.
With Posey’s ties to the GA area I felt he would be the perfect addition to the Braves. Could you imagine the prospect packages that the Giants could get from the Yankees for MadBum and then From Atlanta for Posey and then say Brewers for Crawford maybe throw a Longo to the Phillies
All that young talent would jumpstart a rebuild fast.
But since that is now a pipe dream for my Braves to get a hometown hero like Posey then I hope we can put together a package to get Perez or Realmuto. I don’t see a huge weakness in this Atlant team going forward except catcher and one of these guys would help that young pitching staff develop
Pass on Longo in Philly
Posey and Crawford have full NTC’s and are owed a lot of money. Not as easy as just trading them for a haul like it would be with Bumgarner. Nobody wants Longoria either. Expensive and massively declining.
I see posey and craw sticking around – (Crawford is a hometown hero around here) the rest of the guys could still move in the offseason depending on timetables. I am assuming that in order to move bum the giants would need at least 1 or 2 ready now guys in order to time with Bart – but I think that Bart will probably come up before the other talent (ramos, Gonzales, etc) in the system regardless. Trades will probably be dependent on what they do in FA since it they can fill some holes, bring a few guys up, you can put something together without moving as many guys and without moving bum.
It seems to me from an outsider’s perspective that the Giants should shut him down now and have him get the surgery.Recovery times can differ for every individual and this gives him some leeway to be ready for ST 2019.
The Giants,like my Pirates,are not clinging to hope for the playoffs unless they are totally oblivious to reality.
As to catching in the future,see how he feels in the Spring.I am not sure what you would do with Belt anyway.Catching is a very physically demanding position,so the move to the much easier one at first base is probably in the future,but could be a few years down the line.
Posey is a future HOF,the key to three world championships in five years,so I think that the Giants owe it to him to work with him to suit him the best that they can.They tend to be loyal to their players.
Catchers almost universally break down by age 32 or so. They get injured, their numbers plummet… even the guys that are elite in their prime usually suffer the catchers fate.
Even with surgery looming on one or both hips, wouldn’t Posey still be young and mobile enough with good enough hands to move from C to 3B if everyone agreed it was time for him to come out from behind the plate?
Belt > Longoria, and I believe that Posey could be a better 3B than Longoria through the life of Belt and Crawford’s long-term deals as well.
He needs to move the American League to only DH now.
Busted Posey 🙁
Have the surgery ASAP – Giants are going nowhere.
Whenever an AL team is played at their stadium, Posey is the DH.
Use him at 1B against tough LHP.
May need to carry 3 catchers.
Where is the catching talent? Nobody developed since 2010??
Lobby for the expansion of the 25 man roster to 28 or 30.
Lobby for the DH in the National League – pathetic watching pitchers hit.
Lobby for the repeal of the Sacrifice Fly – boring and without a point
Congrats!
Dumbest post of the day award!!
I just spent the last 20 minutes or so comparing Buster Posey’s career to Joe Mauer’s career and besides the clear difference in the power area, I could see Buster’s post-surgery career trajectory unfolding similar to Mauer’s. Mauer’s greatness and Hall of Fame case has been in clear decline and he has become a somewhat forgotten man. However, with Posey entering the downslope of his career with the end of his time behind the plate apparent, will we see Mauer’s career getting more respect as Buster’s joins his on the glide path to Cooperstown?
Mauer totally is Posey without the titles. Both should make it into the HOF pretty easily.
“we can rebuild him”
Just like Robot Chicken
Had to look that up. Thanks! Love Family Guy. I’ll check this out.
man you dont realize how good Yadi Molina is and Pudge was in comparison to the modern catchers. Those guys are un it for the long haul.
Now all the giants need to do is to trade the rest of their farm for aging veterans they will be stuck with at the deal line and have a below .500 record and no hopes for the playoffs for years. Wait, they already did that.