Buster Posey: I Emptied the Tank 'Like I Never Have Before' for Final Giants Season

After announcing his retirement from Major League Baseball, longtime San Franciso Giants catcher Buster Posey explained his decision to hang up the cleats while meeting with reporters Thursday. 

"I kind of went into this last season feeling like it might be my last," Posey said. "... I think it really allowed me to, not that you don't give it your all, but really, really empty the tank this year like I never have before."

The Giants planned to exercise Posey's $22 million club option for the 2022 season before he made his announcement. The 34-year-old signed an eight-year, $159 million extension with San Francisco in March 2013.

Posey struggled at points after signing that contract. He underwent hip surgery in 2018 and sat out the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season to care for his newly adopted newborn twins. 

There were questions about whether he would return for the 2021 season after sitting out in 2020, but Posey told reporters that he decided to play another year "to prove to myself that I can still play this game at the highest level," per 95.7 The Game.

The 2021 campaign was one of his best, too, as he hit .304/.390/.499 with 56 RBI and 18 home runs in 113 games as the Giants captured their first National League West title in nine years. 

Given his success in 2021, many thought Posey would return for the 2022 campaign. However, while speaking with reporters Thursday, the 2012 NL MVP said it was hard to enjoy playing baseball when dealing with a lot of pain from ankle and hip injuries, per Grant Lodes of KRON4 News. He added that he also wants to be able to spend more time with his family. 

Posey goes down as one of the best catchers in MLB history, and many are already discussing whether he should make the Hall of Fame. The Georgia native won NL Rookie of the Year in 2010, NL MVP in 2012 and a Gold Glove in 2016. He is also a seven-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, three-time World Series champion and a batting title winner. 

Seven of nine players who have caught at least 1,000 games, recorded 1,500 hits and finished with a career OPS+ of 120 are in the Hall of Fame, per FanGraphs. The only two that aren't currently enshrined in Cooperstown are Posey and Jorge Posada, who ended his career in 2011.

It's hard not to include Posey in the Hall of Fame conversation, especially when talking about catchers. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.