Buster Posey has worn a Giants jersey for the last 11 years. He made his MLB debut at only 22 years old, and as he turns 33 in two weeks, the three-time World Series champion couldn't imagine ever wearing a different uniform.
“I don’t see myself playing for any other team -- I don’t,” Posey told The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly Sunday at spring training. “I just value … I don’t know. I just value what I’ve been able to accomplish here. Not that going to another team would diminish what you did. But personally, as a fan, I like to see guys stay with the same team.
“So no, I wouldn’t want to play anywhere else.”
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As Posey has seen with many others over his playing career, it's not that simple sometimes. He made his MLB debut three days after Madison Bumgarner first toed the rubber as a Giant. Bengie Molina was the catcher that day when Bumgarner allowed two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres. Posey then caught the lefty in 228 regular-season games, along with many more memorable ones in the playoffs.
Now, Posey will step in the batter's box with Bumgarner pitching against him as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Bumgarner signed on with the D-backs over the offseason when he became a free agent for the first time. Posey soon might face the same reality. His nine-year contract ends after the 2021 season.
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“We’ll see,” Posey said to Baggarly when asked about his future after 2021. “I could be back here, you know?”
That very well could be true. But in 2022, Posey will be 35 and catcher Joey Bart, the Giants' top prospect, will be 25. While predicting the future is anyone's best bet, Posey made one thing clear in his conversation with Baggarly: He wants to be a Giant for life.