Buster Posey is making a statement with his approach to building the San Francisco Giants, and it’s one that goes against conventional wisdom. Instead of cashing in on the team’s promising young prospects to land established stars, Posey is doubling down on the homegrown talent developing in the organization.

This offseason, Posey hired Tony Vitello as the new manager and signed seven free agents, including Luis Arráez, Harrison Bader, and Tyler Mahle, to shore up the roster. But the real story isn’t about who he brought in. It’s about who he refused to trade away. Prospects like Bryce Eldridge, Josuar Gonzalez, and Luis Hernández remain in the Giants organization despite trade offers that could have landed a frontline starter or impact position player.

On the surface, this move seems risky. The Giants have been stuck in mediocrity for years, and swapping three or four prospects for proven talent would have made strategic sense. It’s the kind of move a desperate front office makes to create an immediate path to success. Posey, a competitor who knows what it takes to win championships, could have gone that route. Instead, he’s betting everything on the idea that this new generation of Giants prospects will actually pan out.

That’s no small wager. The organization has a complicated history with young talent. Sure, Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, and Randy Rodríguez have become meaningful contributors. But for every success story, there are multiple cautionary tales. Joey Bart, Marco Luciano, and Chris Shaw were once viewed as the future of the franchise. Now they’re remembered as organizational failures.

Posey’s faith in youth extends beyond just the position players. Young pitching prospects including Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, and Trevor McDonald could have been shipped out in trades. Instead, they’ll get opportunities to prove themselves during spring training and beyond. The bullpen competition this spring will be wide open, giving arms like Blade Tidwell, Carson Seymour, and Keaton Winn chances to show that past struggles don’t define their potential.

There’s something refreshing about this approach, even if it feels unconventional. Rather than treating prospects as currency to be spent on quick fixes, Posey is treating them as actual investments in the team’s future. He’s clearly convinced that this crop of young talent is different, that Eldridge, Gonzalez, Hernández, and the pitching prospects have what it takes to develop into core contributors.

Only time will tell if Posey’s gamble pays off. Either these young Giants will vindicate his faith and become the building blocks of a competitive roster, or they’ll join the long list of prospects who never quite lived up to their potential. For now, we watch and wait to see if Posey’s confidence is warranted.