The San Francisco Giants are coming off their worst season in nearly a decade, one in which they lost 97 games. But still, the fans showed up.

President of baseball operations Buster Posey was surprised to see the continued turnout by the fanbase, despite the season coming off the rails early for San Francisco and never getting back on track. Nearly 3 million fans showed up to cheer on their team, even when there was nothing to cheer for.

Posy expressed his surprise while meeting with Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic and other reporters present during the General Manager Meetings at the ARIA Resort & Casino on Tuesday. 

What Posey needs to understand, though, is that fan support is not bulletproof. If the Giants do not field a winning product soon, the same fanbase he spent so long being adored by as a player for the same team he is now trying to lead as an executive will come to resent him.

Based on Posey’s comments at the GM Meetings, he knows that San Francisco needs to make changes, with a glaring weakness being the pitching staff. According to Baggarly's reporting, Posey will explore adding multiple relievers.

Actions speak louder than words, and who Posey pursues and ultimately acquires will mean a great deal. This offseason, he is facing an obstacle that did not deter him in the past: navigating qualifying offers.

If the Giants were to sign a player who received a qualifying offer, they would be compelled to forfeit their second-highest draft pick. There would also be a monetary sacrifice of $500,000 from their international signing pool.

Posey has demonstrated a willingness to make sacrifices. As Baggarly pointed out, he did so during his first year on the job in 2024 when he parted with draft picks to sign Willy Adames. However, he acknowledged on Tuesday that the rules attached to players with qualifying offers will make things more difficult for the front office to navigate.

Posey will also have to be cognizant of prioritizing San Francisco’s farm system, which is one of the best in Major League Baseball. According to updated rankings released by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel in August, the Giants’ system ranks seventh among the 30 teams.

As Baggarly noted, Posey will not want to improve the roster if it is detrimental to the minor-league system. Other free-agent options will be available, and Posey and his staff will have to identify who can be impactful for a team that finished 23rd in ERA.

Posey believes the Giants can contend next season, but for it to be possible, it starts with him.