Ever since Buster Posey took over as President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants almost exactly a year ago, there have been murmurous rumors that he might bring Bruce Bochy back to the Bay
for a 14th season at the helm.
The rumors always felt nurtured by romance, not reality. For as much as Posey spoke about wanting to return to the relevance of the glory days, it always seemed clear that he had no plans to bring the band back together; just to emulate the band. He didn’t see if Brandon Crawford had any gas left in the tank, but instead doled out the largest contract in franchise history to someone who carried many of the same traits. He didn’t honor Brandon Belt’s wish to get another opportunity, but instead found a similar — but younger — skillset in Dominic Smith. He didn’t bring in a hyper-competitive veteran starter in Madison Bumgarner, but instead followed the mold with Justin Verlander.
And so it never seemed like Posey would want to hire 2019 Bochy, let alone 2025 Bochy. Instead, it felt like he would search out 2007 Bochy.
But still, the rumors intensified. Posey ousting Bob Melvin the day after the season ended only boosted the rumor mill. The Texas Rangers announcing that they would not be bringing back Bochy fanned the flames. And Bochy telling John Shea that he “would always have a conversation with Buster” poured some fuel on those flames.
They still felt unrealistic, and the first thing on my to-do list for today was to write an article about why I didn’t expect the Giants to actually pursue a reunion with Bochy. That was merely speculative, but then, before I’d finished the article, Posey himself came out and said it.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Posey made it clear that a reunion is not in the works. “I talked to Boch a couple days ago,” Posey said, when asked if Bochy fit the vision for a candidate. “And just told him that, where we are currently … the door is always open here for some sort of role, but the way I think things are coming into picture in my mind, with where we want to go next, I don’t see us going that route with Boch.”
Rumors and natural connections aside, this should come as no surprise. Posey is openly looking for stability, and the Giants are desperate for it. This is, after all, an organization that, from 1993 through 2019, employed only three managers. But when Posey names the next leader of the Giants, they’ll have employed three managers since then, and there should be no interest in seeing that number turn to four anytime soon. Bochy, at 70 years old and with numerous health concerns and one retirement already in the rear-view mirror, would certainly not be a long-term solution. If he’s still interested in managing — and Posey made it clear that he doesn’t know if Bochy is — then he’s likely looking at two or three years. And the Giants certainly would like to avoid having to hire a fourth manager in under a decade.
Even from a skillset standpoint, the fit would have been questionable. Posey, when asked on Monday what qualities he’ll seek in a new manager, stressed the word “obsessive.” That’s not a word that should be mistaken with “hard-working” or “prepared,” even though there’s plenty of overlap. Stressing such a word for the replacement of someone you just fired suggests that the outgoing manager did not possess that trait; and a few months prior, when Posey picked up Melvin’s 2026 option, he noted that, “His leadership, preparation, and connection with our players have been invaluable.” The Giants are clearly looking for something in addition to that, which almost surely points to a more new-school manager. Hopefully they don’t course correct all the way to pinch-hitting Mark Mathias for Crawford, but it’s clear that the Giants are looking for a staff that will obsess over the details in a way that Gabe Kapler’s staff was somewhat notorious for.
Then again, even if the Giants had been interested, it’s hard to envision it being mutual. Bochy was outwardly a little uncomfortable with the enormous show that the league gave him on his reluctant retirement tour, and probably would feel a touch awkward returning after being sent out so glamorously. Returning home shortly after your going-away party is never a comfortable feeling, and Bochy, to his credit, knows how to excuse himself from uncomfortable situations.
Hopefully Bochy is employed by the Giants in 2026, but it won’t be as the manager. And, romance aside, that’s a very good thing.
