MLB Rumors: Buster Posey Handled Matt Chapman Contract Due to Frustration with Zaidi

Buster Posey was once a critical piece for the San Francisco Giants on the field, and now the retired catcher is making his presence felt in a much different way.

The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly reported Sunday that the franchise's executive board "became so frustrated by the lack of immediate progress" on extension negotiations with third baseman Matt Chapman that Posey intervened.

"Sources said Posey personally dealt with Chapman to hammer out the basic structure of the contract, which includes a full no-trade provision—one of the sticking points that [president of baseball operations Farhan] Zaidi had not included in the team's initial proposal," Baggarly wrote.

San Francisco signed Chapman to a six-year, $151 million deal amid a strong campaign from the four-time Gold Glove winner. He has 24 home runs and a 122 OPS+ while continuing to play high-level defense.

Signing Chapman in the first place was a nice feather in the cap for Zaidi, yet now the third baseman's second contract with the Giants raises serious questions about the long-term direction of the front office.

Speaking with Baggarly, Zaidi downplayed the significance of what was reported in the story.

"I viewed myself and ownership working in total sync," he said. "This was a priority to get done. I'd expect them to be heavily involved in a deal of this magnitude and they were."

Still, it's tough to positively spin how Posey, who joined the ownership group in September 2022, and his fellow executives reportedly "did not trust" that Zaidi could wrap up a contract with Scott Boras, Chapman's agent.

Zaidi's contract with the Giants is only guaranteed through 2025 with a club option for 2026, so he's potentially heading into next year as a lame duck off the back of a third straight season without playoff baseball.

Baggarly's report points to one obvious conclusion: a change at the top of the front office could come as early as this offseason. Should that happen, Posey might be assuming more power over baseball decisions if he's already helping in negotiations.