The San Francisco Giants fired president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi on Monday and replaced him with Buster Posey, the three-time World Series-winning catcher and franchise icon who had taken on an increasing front-office role in recent years.

Posey, a seven-time All-Star and National League MVP, retired after the 2021 season and joined the Giants’ ownership group in 2022. The 37-year-old Posey is widely known for his baseball acumen and lacks the front office experience that typically comes with those who rise to top positions.

Still, the Giants saw him as the right candidate to replace the 47-year-old Zaidi, who had taken over in San Francisco in 2019 and oversaw mediocre results over the past three seasons that led to his firing.

“We are looking for someone who can define, direct and lead the baseball philosophy of this franchise and we believe Buster is the perfect fit,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said in a statement. “Buster has the demeanor, intelligence and drive to do this job, and we are confident he and (manager) Bob Melvin will work together to bring winning baseball back to San Francisco.”

Posey’s involvement in Matt Chapman’s six-year, $151 million contract extension earlier this month marked a shift in the Giants’ operations, although it was not clear he would take over if Zaidi were fired. San Francisco had regularly backed Zaidi, signing him to a two-year contract extension last year and giving him room over the winter to guarantee more than $400 million in free agent deals and push the team’s payroll past the luxury tax threshold .

Despite stellar individual performances, the Giants faltered, finishing 80-82 after 81-81 and 79-83 performances in 2022 and 2023. The hiring of Melvin and the signings of Chapman, left-hander Blake Snell and outfielder JJung Hoo Lee mattered little. change a team that was in the MLB’s best division, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks all clearly superior.

Zaidi’s tenure appeared to be on the rise in 2021, as the Giants went 107-55 to win the National League West — the only time in the past 12 seasons that a team other than the Dodgers took the division crown. San Francisco lost to the Dodgers in the division series, Posey retired and the transition from the end of the era in which they won three World Series was official. Zaidi never came close to repeating it.

“We appreciate Farhan’s dedication to the organization and his passion for making an impact in our community during his six years with the Giants,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, the results are not what we hoped for, and while that responsibility is shared by all of us, we have decided that change is needed. While these decisions are not easy, we believe it is time for new leadership to step up. our team so that we can consistently compete for championships. I wish Farhan and his family nothing but the best for the future.”