The San Francisco Giants addressed a key leadership position on Monday by naming Buster Posey as the new president of baseball operations. However, another vacancy has opened up, as Posey confirmed that Pete Putila will not remain in the role of general manager. The Giants are expected to promptly begin their search for a replacement.
Pete Putila out as general manager, SF Giants to begin search right away
For what it’s worth, it seems Putila is likely to stay with San Francisco in a new position, though the specifics of that role are still being worked out.
Putila has served as the Giants’ general manager since October 2022, taking over after Scott Harris left to become president of baseball operations for the Detroit Tigers.
Farhan Zaidi hired Putila to help strengthen the team’s player development. Before joining the Giants, Putila held various roles with the Houston Astros, particularly focused on player development.
Putila, who began his career with the Astros as a baseball operations intern in 2011, advanced to assistant general manager by 2019. He earned a solid reputation in Houston, despite the controversies surrounding the 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
While much of Putila’s work was behind the scenes, he was notably present during Jung Hoo Lee’s final games with the Kiwoom Heroes in the KBO, which foreshadowed Lee’s eventual six-year deal with the Giants after his KBO career concluded.
During Putila’s brief tenure as GM, there were several positive developments. Most notably, Luis Matos made a significant comeback in 2023, rapidly advancing through the minors after a tough 2022 season. On the pitching side, players like Hayden Birdsong and Landen Roupp saw velocity improvements soon after joining the Giants, though it’s difficult to determine how much credit goes directly to Putila.
Given the Giants’ need for enhanced player development, retaining Putila would be a positive step, but the organization will still need to refine its approach to achieve better outcomes.
As for potential replacements, Jeremy Shelley was mentioned during Posey’s press conference. Shelley has been with the Giants in various capacities since 1996.
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