In his first year running the San Francisco Giants’ front office, Buster Posey has often acted in contradictory ways. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — in fact, it’s common among top athletes and executives. Great players often succeed by breaking their own rules, doing what’s typically discouraged, but doing it with intention and success. Posey was that kind of player, and now he seems to be that kind of executive.
But the decision to promote 20-year-old top prospect **Bryce Eldridge** stands out — it’s easily Posey’s most uncharacteristic move so far.
All year, Posey has downplayed the possibility of Eldridge making the majors in 2025, even going so far as to literally call the idea “cold water.” Despite that, on Sunday, news broke that Eldridge was getting the call-up. On the surface, this isn’t wildly shocking — had someone predicted it months ago, it would’ve seemed plausible. But considering the context, the move feels out of sync with how the Giants have operated.
If Eldridge had dominated Triple-A, the promotion would make sense. But his numbers — a solid but unspectacular .836 OPS, a 106 wRC+, a high 30.8% strikeout rate, and some defensive issues — suggest he’s still developing. He’s currently riding a seven-game hitting streak, but it’s not exactly overwhelming: 10 hits in 28 at-bats, one homer, four doubles, two walks, and eight strikeouts.
A more logical time for this move would have been if the Giants were out of playoff contention — a chance to let a future cornerstone gain experience. But that’s not the case either. The team is just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot.
Instead, this feels like a sudden reaction, prompted by a disappointing weekend against the Dodgers, where the offense struggled badly against elite pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Even though the Giants have had one of the league’s best offenses over the last few weeks — leading MLB in runs and advanced offensive stats since late August — the poor showing left a mark.
NBC Sports’ Alex Pavlovic described the call-up as a reaction to Sunday’s 10-2 loss, and John Shea noted that a mix of **Dominic Smith’s injury** and the team’s rough weekend created pressure to act.
Had Smith not been injured, or had the Giants lost in a closer, higher-scoring game, Eldridge might still be finishing the Triple-A season. But this stretch of struggles prompted the team to pivot, much like they did earlier in the summer when they shifted from trade deadline buyers to sellers after a couple of bad games.
There’s clear risk involved: Eldridge may not be ready. Posey himself struggled in his first major league stint. So did many stars — Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, even Eldridge’s idol Bryce Harper had rocky starts before breaking out.
Still, this could end up being a smart, gutsy move by Posey. If Eldridge performs well, he could boost the team’s playoff chances and offer clarity heading into the offseason. Yet, it’s undeniably a break from the Giants’ usual calculated, methodical approach.
Then again, maybe this kind of bold, out-of-character decision is exactly what great leadership looks like.