MLB Insider Says San Francisco Giants, Buster Posey Could Have Payroll Limits

The latest report isn't a good sign for the San Francisco Giants when it comes to their ability to lure free agents this offseason.

Oct 1, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey addresses the media during an introductory press conference at Oracle Park. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants made an excellent hire when they announced Buster Posey would be their president of baseball operations. Posey knows this organization better than anyone and in a time of need, he's one of the few people who can help them get back to the top.

The three-time World Series champion wanted the challenge. Well, in his first offseason as the team's leader, he's facing them.

While the hire was perfect on paper, Posey will have things out of his control. If the Giants aren't willing to give him a certain amount of money to improve the roster, San Francisco shouldn't expect much to change.

The Giants have many areas they need to improve this winter, and working under a budget constraint is the last thing they can do. However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic expects San Francisco and Posey to have limitations on their MLB payroll.

The former MLB general manager believes Posey's credentials as a player will get him in the room with just about any free agent. That brings credibility to the organization. But, financially, there may be some areas he can't control, Bowden believes.

"I think he’s a bit hamstrung in his first year of running baseball operations for the Giants, with limitations from above on their major-league payroll. It’s going to take time to turn around the Giants, but I believe Posey is the right hire to make them contenders again."

The key word Bowden used was "patience." It's something Giants fans have had to get used to after missing the playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons.

Whether that'll be the case or not remains to be seen. The Giants haven't necessarily been cheap in recent winters despite having a tough time landing some of the top players on the market. San Francisco was the highest-bidder for both Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa before those deals fell through.

Some have suggested that outside factors like the city, ballpark dimensions, and more have been why San Francisco hasn't found its next franchise talent. Add all that to potential payroll limits and things will be more challenging than ever.

Posey took this job to turn things around. It's almost certain that he and the ownership spoke about having money to spend. If they weren't willing to open the checkbook, there wasn't much of a reason to hire Posey.

It's best to wait until things play out, but this isn't a positive sign. The Giants need to be all in, and any limitations on their budget wouldn't allow that.

With a big offseason coming up, things don't look too great early on.