The San Francisco Giants have made it a priority to bring back veteran catcher Buster Posey for a 13th season, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Monday, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

The Giants plan to exercise Posey's $22 million club option for the 2022 season, provided the 34-year-old wants to continue playing. 

"He is, in our estimation, the best catcher in baseball this year," Zaidi said. "Obviously want to have conversations with Buster and continue to have internal conversations about that, but having him on this team next year is a high priority."

Posey signed an eight-year, $159 million extension in March 2013. The contract was the second-largest signed by a catcher at the time. At points during his current deal, it didn't seem like San Francisco would be interested in picking up his 2022 option. 

The former MVP underwent hip surgery in 2019 and sat out the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season to care for his newly adopted newborn twins. 

However, Posey looked rejuvenated during the 2021 campaign, which was his best since 2017. He hit .304/.390/.499, with 56 RBI and 18 home runs in 113 games as San Francisco captured the National League West title for the first time since the 2012 season. 

Despite his success this year, the three-time World Series champion wouldn't commit to returning for the 2022 campaign following San Francisco's Game 5 National League Division Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

"I'm definitely just going to take some time with my wife, talk to her and be able to be a full-time dad of four kids for the first time in a while," he said, per NBC Sports Bay Area. "Yeah, just kind of take it slowly and see how things progress."

If Posey decides to retire this winter, the Giants will rely on Curt Casali and the No. 16-ranked prospect in baseball Joey Bart during the 2022 season. 

Casali appeared in 77 games for San Francisco this season, hitting .210/.313/.350 with five home runs and 26 RBI. The 32-year-old will be entering his ninth season in 2022. 

Bart, meanwhile, has limited experience at the big league level. In 35 career games across two seasons, the 24-year-old slashed .239/.291/.321 with eight RBI and no home runs. 

Bart spent most of the 2021 season in Triple-A, hitting .294/.358/.472 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 67 games.