Something was not right in San Francisco over the past few days with star Giants catcher Buster Posey away from the team. It led to speculation that the six-time All-Star might either opt out of the 2020 season or retire altogether.
We now have an answer. Posey met with the media in Northern California Friday morning and announced his decision.
Buster Posey becomes 10th player to opt out of 2020 MLB season
Prior to Posey announcing his decision on Friday, division-rival David Price of the Los Angeles Dodgers had been the biggest-name player to opt out of the 60-game season due to concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This could have wide-ranging ramifications for the Giants and the rest of the National League West in 2020.
Buster Posey’s stats had been on the decline, but he’s still a darn good player
Back in 2012, Posey hit .336 with 24 homers, 106 RBI and a .957 OPS en route to earning NL MVP honors. Those were all career-highs for the former top-five pick.
Since then, it has been a gradual decline for Posey. He hit just .257 with seven homers, 38 RBI and a .688 OPS for the Giants last season.
In no way does this mean Posey has not been valuable to the Giants. He’s acted as a steady presence, both behind the plate and in the locker room. It’s a major loss for San Francisco.
In Posey’s stead, former No. 2 overall pick Joey Bart will likely get regular catching duties.