Buster Posey at a New Position in 2015?

Buster Posey should no longer be the starting catcher in the near future. Posey needs to play as many games as possible, and being the starting catcher, he is limited because of the needed rest a catcher has to have being in the squat every day.

Posey is clearly one of the most valuable players to this Giants team. He’s right there with Angel Pagan when it comes to how important it is to have him play.

Posey has played a lot of first base since 2010, and he has played in 105 games at first base out of his career total 546 games, to be exact. Right now, Posey is on pace to beat the highest amount of games in a season that he has played at first base (30 games in 2010). He sits at 23 games currently this year.

With the two recent scares of concussion injuries to Hector Sanchez and Brandon Belt, the Giants must remain cautious with their former NL MVP. Posey already had to miss almost all of the 2011 season after a horrific injury at home plate that basically was the beginning of the movement for a new rule for catchers and baserunners to eliminate home plate collisions.

Right now, Posey will remain the starting catcher with the occasional start at first base (mostly during Tim Lincecum starts, and now even more with Brandon Belt on the concussion DL again), but the Giants have said they don’t have any plans of moving Posey from behind home plate any time soon.

“When we signed him to an extension, we considered him as a catcher, and those numbers he was able to get in the extension were based on him being a catcher,” said Brian Sabean…

Next season, there’s a possibility that Giants fans could see Posey at a new position, and not just the occasional start at first base.

Pablo Sandoval‘s contract ends after this season, and Sandoval declined two contract offers from the Giants at the beginning of this season. Sandoval wants more years and more money than what the Giants were willing to offer. Sandoval is looking for a Hunter Pence like contract ($90 million/five years). If the Giants cannot re-sign Sandoval in the offseason, then the Giants are going to need a third baseman.

Here’s where the idea of Buster Posey at third base comes in. We already know Posey is an excellent defender behind the dish, and we already know that Posey has experience at every single position in baseball.

So the idea of Posey going from catcher to third base, much like what Sandoval did for the Giants in 2008/2009, should be a thought for the Giants going into the offseason and 2015 season. With Posey at third base, he can play a few more games per season, and will be less prone to injuries like he endured in 2011 or concussion injuries at catcher.

Andrew Susac has had an accelerated learning experience at catcher in the big leagues after being brought up following Sanchez’s injury, and this could come in handy going into the 2015 season.

Another possible (but probably less likely) position the Giants could use Posey at is second base given their lack of depth at that position. Joe Panik has stepped in nicely though, as he is batting .474 over the past week now that he has won the starting role at second base for the rest of the season.

It’s unclear if the Giants will actually move Posey from catcher to third base (or to second), but it’s at least an idea they should really consider given the chance thy might not be able to come to terms with Sandoval,and how important Posey’s health is to this team.

What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Is Buster Posey your catcher for the next seven seasons, or do you feel he should move to a new position like third base or second base in the near future?