The San Francisco Giants will be without catcher Buster Posey this season as he has decided to opt-out of the 2020 season.
Posey opted out because of health concerns for his newly adopted twin girls. The girls were born about eight weeks prematurely last Friday and Posey and his wife finalized the adoption on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The babies will have to spend time in neonatal intensive care and will have weakened immune systems for a few months.
“In the current state that we are right now and these babies being as fragile as they are for the next four months, at minimum, this ultimately wasn’t that difficult a decision for me,” Posey told reporters during a Zoom call. “From a baseball standpoint, it was a tough decision. From a family standpoint and feeling like I’m making a decision to protect our children, I think it was relatively easy.”
The Giants fully support Posey’s decision.
OFFICIAL: Buster Posey has opted out of the 2020 season. #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/wd9VE9219l
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) July 10, 2020
Giants President Farhan Zaidi and his son with a message for Buster Posey after he announced he was opting out of the season pic.twitter.com/Mmv6dwZtiV
— Jason Appelbaum (@JasonAppelbaum1) July 10, 2020
Farhan Zaidi and Gabe Kapler expressed full support for Buster Posey, both thanked him for support he has shown them over last two years. Kapler: "I think Buster is making an incredibly thoughtful decision for him and his family and the one that makes the most sense."
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) July 10, 2020
Posey opting out is a huge loss for the Giants. He’s a six-time All-.star, a Gold Glove winner, won a batting title, four Silver Slugger awards, was the National League MVP in 2012, and has won three World Series titles. Last year his play declined as he hit .257 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs.
Posey joins Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher David Price, Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond, and Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake among the players who have opted out of the season.
Joey Bart, Tyler Heineman, Rob Brantley, and Chadwick Tromp are the options the Giants have at the catcher position with Posey opting out.
MLB’s 60 game season starts on July 23.
