Posey instantly goes from “Giants catcher” to “first-ballot Hall of Famer,” as sources say he will announce his retirement Thursday.

When a young catcher named Buster Posey out of Florida State University was drafted by the San Francisco Giants with their fifth pick way back in 2008, the Giants were so excited about his potential for stardom that they gave him a then franchise-record $6.2 million rookie signing bonus. That decision certainly paid off, for twelve magnificent seasons. Sources say Posey will announce his retirement Thursday, but he leaves a dazzling legacy of three World Series championships, seven All-Star appearances, one National League MVP award, and an absolutely certain induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

The stunning news of Posey’s retirement came from The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly’s Twitter account shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. Baggarly had not even filed the story yet before his tweet set off a firestorm of emotion and appreciation across social media.

Posey endeared Giants fans right off the bat within his power hitting and fearlessness behind the plate. He revolutionized the modern catcher position, becoming the first catcher to win the divisional batting crown in 70 years, and pulled many a rabbit from his hat en route to those three even-year championships.

After the birth of his twins, Posey opted out of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, but came back in 2021 to win NL Comeback Player of the Year.

To play 12 seasons and maintain a batting average of more than .300 makes Posey the 156th best batter of all time. To play one’s entire career with the same team is unheard of anymore. So Don't dwell on losing Buster Posey, dwell on the fact that we had ane of the all-time greats, and he caught us a few championships we’ll never forget.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 11: Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game 3 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)