PHOENIX — Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey effectively sent two messages on Tuesday afternoon by exercising manager Bob Melvin’s contract option for the 2026 season.

The first is that he has confidence in Melvin as his manager, as well the entire coaching staff. The second is that his team, plain and simple, needs to perform.

“I think he’s as prepared as anybody each and every day. I think his coaches are the same way,” Posey said of Melvin, who has an all-time record of 1,642-1,547. “From my perspective — and also my perspective as a player — when you’re going through a rough patch, there’s a tendency to want to point the finger at the coaches. Ultimately, I believe we have great players. I still believe in that group of players, but it boils down to them needing to play better baseball.

“If anybody deserves any blame from the top, it should be on me. It shouldn’t be on our manager or coaching staff. I’m the one who sets the roster. So, I feel like with all those things considered, this was a good time for me to show my belief in Bob and his coaching staff.”

The decision to exercise Melvin’s option — a decision that was in the works for several weeks — comes as the team is navigating its worst stretch of the season.

Entering Tuesday, San Francisco had lost 11 of its last 15 games and is 1.5 games back of the third wild-card spot. Last week, the Giants were swept by the Miami Marlins at home and dropped two of three to the Chicago White Sox.

Amid the cold spell, Posey gave Melvin a vote of confidence, informing him of the decision on Monday.

“It kind of speaks to who Buster is,” Melvin said of the timing. “He knows what a grind this is and he knows how hard we wear it — myself and the coaching staff. It’s probably unique as far as the timing goes, but it doesn’t surprise me with him.

“He’s been very supportive of us as a staff. Our dialogue has been very good from spring training until now. We’re aligned on how we see things and where this team and this organization are going. It’s very much appreciated by me and the staff as well.”

During this stretch, multiple coaches have been at the center of public scrutiny.

Hitting coach Pat Burrell has been criticized due to the continued struggles of an offense that’s averaging 3.2 runs per game since acquiring Rafael Devers. Additionally, third-base coach Matt Williams took heat when Devers and Jung Hoo Lee were thrown out at the plate on back-to-back days following aggressive sends.

For all the public disapproval, Posey maintained that the players are responsible for what happens between the lines.

“Putting on my former player’s hat, I do think it’s somewhat of a balancing act for a coach and a player at times,” Posey said. “You want the coach to be prepared, but at the same time, you want there to be accountability for the player to understand that ultimately, their career and their success or failure comes down to one person: that’s themselves. We want our coaches there to support our players, but to understand that they’re not a crutch as well.”

Said Melvin of Burrell: “He understands these difficult times and they never feel anything but support from him. He’s a good hitting coach. All three of our guys work very well together. Obviously, we’re going through a difficult time right now, but they’re doing the best they can with it.”

Logan Webb, who allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings in Monday night’s 4-2 loss, was in complete agreement with Posey’s sentiment that the Giants must play better.

“At the end of the day, it’s us players that go out there and throw the ball, catch the ball, hit the ball,” Webb said. “The coaching staff is there to help out. These guys work their (butts) off every single day. They’re the first here. They’re the last to leave.

“When you’re on a plane ride, you’d probably see us players are in the back playing cards or watching movies or something. Those guys are up in the front scouting the next team. … These guys put a ton of work in. At the end of the day, it’s our jobs to go out there and be better and play better and ultimately win the game.”

Webb was one of several players who praised the team’s decision to exercise Melvin’s option, noting how he and several veterans vouched for Melvin in the past. He added that Melvin, who has a 125-122 record with San Francisco, and Bruce Bochy both “have a presence about them” and “everything that you kind of look for in your leader and your manager.”

“Everyone in this clubhouse has his back all the time,” Webb said. “He’s one of the greatest managers, I think, of all time. It just makes it even more for us to try to win (a World Series) for him. I know he hasn’t won yet, so it’d be pretty cool to do for us.”

Matt Chapman, who played under Melvin with the Oakland A’s, said he was “so pumped for him.” Wilmer Flores, making a rare start at third base after Christian Koss was placed on the 10-day injured list, said it was “really cool.”

As far as a proper contract extension, Posey said that subject will be discussed after the season is over.

Posey did not immediately know the contract details of Melvin’s entire coaching staff, but said he believes they’re all on one-year deals. He said he will defer to Melvin regarding next year’s coaching staff.

“It means a lot,” said Melvin, a three-time Manager of the Year. “Other than this stretch we’ve been going through here recently, we feel like we’ve got a good thing going here. We’ve signed some impactful guys that are going to be here. We’ve traded for guys. We have a nucleus going forward. To be able to be part of that is a big deal for me, especially in the Bay Area and San Francisco.”

Fan interference

The Diamondbacks announced on Tuesday afternoon that the fan who interfered on Christian Koss’ fly ball to left field in the eighth inning of Monday night’s game is prohibited from attending games for the remainder of the year.

“This particular fan has been involved in multiple offenses at Chase Field,” the Diamondbacks wrote in a statement. “Consequently, we have terminated his Advantage Member account and he is prohibited from returning to Chase Field for the remainder of 2025. This fan will have the opportunity to return to Chase Field in 2026 so long as he meets certain terms and abides by our Fan Code of Conduct.”