Oakland Athletics v San Francisco Giants / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages
Castillo notes that Putila will oversee Atlanta’s international scouting department in his new role. The move marks the end of his two-year tenure with the organization.
He was originally hired by Farhan Zaidi following the 2022 season. Zaidi sought an executive with a player development background and Putila checked that box, having extensive experience in player development during his time as an assistant general manager of the Houston Astros.
Putila originally joined the Astros organization as a baseball operations intern in 2011. He was elevated to an assistant general manager in 2019. The Astros were going through some turmoil following the sign-stealing scandal at the time and relied on Putila’s experience to help guide the organization forward.
Joining the Giants organization represented a promotion for the longtime front office executive. Given that he worked on the player development side, it is always tough to discern his impact.
That said, there were some positive developments for a handful of Giants prospects during his tenure. This list includes Hayden Birdsong, Landen Roupp, and Luis Matos.
Putila also scouted Jung Hoo Lee extensively before the Giants signed him to a six-year, $113 million deal. He will continue to work on international scouting in his new role with the Braves.
Oddly enough, when the Giants let go of Farhan Zaidi, it did sound like Putila would remain with the organization in a different role. However, that did not come to fruition and the Giants replaced him by promoting Zack Minasian to general manager.
For an organization that remains behind the development curve, it is tough to lose personnel like Putila. While much of his work is behind the scenes, he is well-regarded throughout baseball.
Plus, the change in general proved to be a sign of Putila’s appeal on the open market as he landed a new role immediately. And, in an organization that has had plenty of recent success.
