SAN FRANCISCO — When Buster Posey took over as president of baseball operations for the Giants, he was only three years removed from his days in the batter’s box and behind the plate. But when the front office met in a conference room for three days at the Winter Meetings last month, it was another member of the group that had the most recent experience with the free agents the Giants were talking about. 

Curt Casali played 41 games for the Giants in 2024 and was in camp with the Atlanta Braves last spring before moving on to life in a front office. Casali was hired by the Giants early in the offseason, joining Javier Lopez as former Posey teammates who are now advisors to the front office. 

The hope for both sides is that he can add value behind the scenes at a time when the catching position is undergoing a massive change. Casali is a fan of ABS, which will be implemented this year, and after 11 years in the big leagues, he’s very familiar with not just the Giants, but their opponents and players they’re chasing. 

“It’s definitely a cool perspective, I think, and something that maybe not everybody in our room can attest to,” Casali said on Thursday’s Giants Talk podcast. “Do I think it’s the only opinion? No, because there are a lot of people in that room that are smarter than me, but my goal would be to offer as much as I can to help the Giants win as many games as possible. 

“The opportunity that I had to play for a long time and kind of come right into this role and being able to say that I played for a lot of different teams, spring training, different organizations, it’s allowed me to meet a lot of cool people and experience a lot of what people have to offer in terms of their talent on the field. I think I have a decent bit to offer.”

Unlike just about everyone else in the front office, the 37-year-old actually stepped into the box against Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle and Sam Hentges, three offseason additions to the coaching staff. He also has plenty of experience with the incumbent Giants, having played 41 games with many of them in what ended up being his final big league season. 

Casali had 11 big league years overall with the Giants, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays, but last spring he struggled at the plate and felt that it was time to hang it up. He called an old friend, Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall, and spent the summer scouting and learning what life is like behind the scenes. 

“Was it a little bit sad, sure?” he said. “But I felt pretty proud of what I put together on the field, so it was an easy departure, I guess.”

Casali was a popular teammate when he wore orange and black, and like many longtime big league catchers, he figures to have other options down the line. The Giants had a strong run of putting veterans behind Posey late in his career, and two others have done well with their second acts. 

Stephen Vogt is a two-time Manager of the Year in Cleveland and Nick Hundley was an early frontrunner for the job that went to Tony Vitello before deciding to stick with life in the front office. Like Hundley, Casali has young children and wants that to be the focus now that he’s done playing. That was a good fit with Posey, who balances having four of his own at home, and Casali said Posey was his first call when his time with the Reds was over. 

Casali said he “jumped at the opportunity” that Posey offered. Like with Vogt and Hundley, Casali’s reputation should allow him to pursue managing or TV if he wants to, but for now, he’s eager to learn life in a front office. 

“It is interesting to think about (how) those types of guys end up being managers or prominent TV personalities or something like that,” he said. “I haven’t exactly decided about my future — this is my first step and it works with what I have right now, what time I have to give in terms of my family at home, and Buster is really understanding in that sense. It feels like a great fit for me.”

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