San Francisco is a city where the early morning text messages from rival executives and agents are a common sight for the general manager. But for Zack Minasian, it's just another day. Promoted about six months after the birth of his first child, he's always been an early riser. This led to one of his first experiences with his new boss. In 2008, on draft day, the then-25-year-old was one of the first two Milwaukee Brewers employees to arrive at the draft room. The other was Jack Zduriencik, the amateur scouting director. Minasian recalled, "I remember him turning to me and saying, 'If we were picking number one, we would be taking Buster Posey.'" The Brewers had the 16th pick and no chance of selecting the Florida State catcher. But the Giants took him fifth, a move that changed their franchise. One of Posey's first moves as president of baseball operations was to hire Minasian, a surprise choice to many.

From Surprise Hire to GM

Posey admitted he didn't expect Minasian to rise to the top of his search process. But Minasian considered himself fortunate as Posey was comfortable with him continuing in his role. However, on a Saturday morning in October, Posey called and asked if Minasian would be interested in interviewing for the open GM job. On November 1st, Minasian was announced as the 11th general manager in San Francisco Giants history. A few days earlier, Posey offered him the job and Minasian shook his hand and gave him a hug. This moment was the culmination of a lifetime's work. Posey wanted someone with a scouting background who could relate to everyone in the clubhouse.

Minasian grew up in clubhouses thanks to his father, who was a clubhouse manager for the Texas Rangers for over two decades. The four Minasian boys helped out on the visiting side, watching great players like George Brett, Ken Griffey Jr., and Robin Yount. They unpacked equipment trucks at four in the morning and then went to school. One brother became the GM of the Los Angeles Angels, and another worked for the Atlanta Braves. Minasian said, "The understanding was you can come in this clubhouse, but you have to work. I probably broke a lot of child labor laws, but I loved every minute of it."

When their father moved to the home clubhouse, they celebrated wins with Rangers players. But the long seasons taught Minasian a lesson. He said, "I don't know if I got addicted to winning as much as I just hated losing." These lessons stayed with him when he went to Milwaukee, where he spent 14 years and became the youngest pro scouting director at 27. He was instrumental in helping the Brewers acquire CC Sabathia and Josh Hader. In 2010, he made a deal with his brother Perry that had its roots in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Minasian was hired by Farhan Zaidi in 2019, a crucial step in his career. His grandfather and father were close to Tommy Lasorda, who became his godfather. When he got hired, Lasorda called him Benedict Arnold. Three years later, he was promoted to VP of pro scouting. Two years after that, Posey chose him as his partner during a crucial period. Minasian views his pro scouting background as preparing him for this role. He said, "It's funny, people talk about rising from the bottom. I never viewed working in that clubhouse as the bottom. It was a privilege."