Gerald Dempsey Posey, aka “Buster ” is among the youngest players to make this list. But the San Francisco Giants know full well the risks associated with the catching position; who knows if the Giants could have added another World Series ring in 2011 when he had the season-ending knee injury from a home-plate collision.
What we all do know is the Giants were not contenders without him. There are a lot of reasons to leave him behind the plate; five of them make up the starting rotation for the Giants. He has always handled the egos of big-time pitchers with the all-time greats, and it’s not at all a stretch to say his career trajectory is leading Posey to a plaque in Cooperstown. He has a lot of hardware, both as a player and with the Giants, that speak for his value to the team.
The big question is “how long can he continue catching and maintain offensive production?” It’s not like the Giants have glaring need at any other position; their starting eight is, day-in, day-out, as good as it gets. Unless San Francisco decided to trade Brandon Belt, there’s no way to protect Posey from the perils of catching.
Unless the designated hitter comes to the National League. If it did, the Giants do have Hunter Pence, among others, who can handle the role. But no one on the Giants needs the long-term protection, even with his huge contract, the way Buster Posey does.
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