I don't remember a season when I was less emotionally invested in the postseason. I think the Twins advanced and know the Rays didn't. No clue who else is even playing. At least temporarily we will disinvest from staring at the steaming wreckage of Giants management and spend the next couple of weeks reviewing Giants depth charts and minor league seasons(I don't think anyone wants another rehash of the Giants MLB season).
FZ was widely questioned and even criticized after the 2020 draft when, in spite of Joey Bart being Buster Posey's heir apparent, he drafted another catcher in the first round, Patrick Bailey. Fans saw the wisdom of that move this season as Bailey took over from a struggling Bart and ran up a 2.8 fWAR and starts the 2024 season at the top of the catching Depth Chart.
MLB(40-man roster):
Patrick Bailey: .233/.285/.359, 7 HR, 353 PA, fWAR= 2.8. Age- 24. Options- 3. Arbitration Eligible- 2027. Bailey's offense followed a typical rookie trajectory with an initial burst until pitchers got a scouting report on him after which he struggled. His WAR value was entirely attributed to his defense in spite of 13 throwing errors. He threw out 25 of 88 baserunners(29%). How much did the extra bases allowed on the errors lead to extra runs? I guess you would have to go back and review each incident. Bailey admitted to exhaustion near the end of the season which may have contributed to some of his later season struggles. He has an offseason to rest up, work on his hitting approach and meditate on risky throws. He is the Giants presumptive starting catcher for the next 5 or 6 seasons.
Blake Sabol: .235/.301/.394, 13 HR, 4 SB, 344 PA, fWAR= 0.7. Age: 25. Options- 3. Arbitration Eligible- 2026. Sabol was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the Reds then traded to the Giants. The Giants still had to keep him on the active roster all season, trade him or offer him back to the Pirates. They kept him on the roster all season where he served as a back up in LF and catcher as well as a lefty bat off the bench. He struggled defensively at both positions but showed flashes of toonder in his bat. Interestingly, his one area of positive fWAR value came from baserunning. As long as he stays on the 40-man roster the Giants now have 3 option years to work with but his lefty bat and defensive versatility give him an advantage in the reserve catcher battle.
Joey Bart: .218/.283/.346, 1 HR, 32 PA, fWAR= 0.0. Age: 26. Options- 0. Arbitration Eligible- 2025. Former #2 overall draft pick and Giants catcher of the future. Was not able to tap into his raw power due to huge swing and miss in his bat. Cloudy future is even murkier due to being out of options next season which means the Giants have to either keep him on the active roster or expose him to waivers. Gotta think Sabol is ahead of him on the depth chart which means he is a potential trade candidate this offseason. I still think Bart will be a decent catcher for some MLB team but probably not with the Giants.
Roberto Perez(60-day IL): .133/.235/.133, 17 PA, fWAR= -0.1. Age: 33. Options- 0. Arbitration Eligible- Not. Oft injured veteran brought in to put Joey Bart on notice he was not going to be handed the starting catcher gig. Perez was awful for all of 5 games and unsurprisingly hit the IL for season-ending rotator cuff surgery. Gotta think he'll be released off the 40-man roster as soon as he comes off the IL. Reminder to FZ the #1 predictor of injury is a history of injury.
AAA: None. I am pretty sure all catchers listed on the roster are minor league free agents.
AA:
Andy Thomas: .226/.325/.360, 11 HR, 5 SB, 448 PA. Age- 25. Rule 5 Eligible- Dec 2024. Lefty bat with strong walk rates and occasional power. Has another season to prove he deserves to be added to a 40 man roster.
Brandon Martorano: .190/.323/.307, 6 HR, 248 PA. Age- 25. Rule 5 Eligible- now. Similar profile to Andy Thomas. Strictly an organizational player at this point.
A+:
Zach Morgan: A: .254/.376/.383, 4 HR, 258 PA. A+: .292/.326/.427, 2 HR. Age- 23. Rule 5 Eligible Dec. 2025. Giants 7'th round draft pick in 2022. Slow start in A ball but improved and continued to hit well after promotion to A+. He is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League. Could be fast riser if he continues to hit.
Adrian Sugastey: A+: .298/.333/.423, 4 HR, 264 PA. Age: 20. Rule 5 Eligible- now. Solid contact skills but limited power and doesn't walk. Rule 5 eligibility at age 20 shows unfairness of the rule. Unlikely to be selected.
Onil Perez: A: .300/.364/.403, 2 HR, 21 SB, 283 PA. A+: .289/.333/.333, 2 SB, 48 PA. Age: 21. Rule 5 Eligible- now. Similar profile to Sugastey. Surprising speed for SB's for catching prospect. Also unlikely to be selected in Rule 5 Draft.
Thomas Gavello: A: .249/.408/.468, 10 HR, 6 SB, 263 PA. A+: .217/.311/.272, HR, 106 PA. Age- 22. Rule 5 Eligible: Dec 2025. 13'th round draft pick 2022. Lefty bat. Positional versatility also playing 2B and 3B. Longshot future as a utility player.
Brett Auerbach: A+: .229/.295/.371, 5 HR, 15 SB, 193 PA. AA: .153/.211/.190, HR, 6 SB, 175 PA. Age: 25. Rule 5 Eligible- Now. Regressed at AA this season and was demoted to A+. Main skill is versatility. Plays multiple positions. Running out of time. No risk for Rule 5 selection and and unfortunately a candidate to be released.
A:
Luke Schliger: A: .298/.403/.351, 67 PA. Age: 22. Rule 5 Eligible: Dec 2026. Drafted in 2023 round 6. Conservative placement. Hit well as a lefty bat.
Jack Payton: ACL: .400/.483/.480, 29 PA. A: .184/.244/.263, 41 PA. Age- 22. Rule 5 Eligible- Dec 2026. Drafted in 2023 round 11. Mixed results in very conservative placement and SSS.
Drew Cavanaugh: ACL: .300/.475/.333, 40 PA. A: .250/.333/.250, 24 PA. Age- 21. Rule 5 Eligible- Dec 2026. More mixed results in very conservative placement and SSS.
Overall Outlook: Although Patrick Bailey is a candidate for the dreaded Sophomore Jinx, the free agent market is barren. Giants may bring in a veteran backup to allow them to use options on Sabol, especially if Bart gets traded, but right now it looks like Bailey or bust. Giants have a nice stream of catching prospects in the pipeline but none of them look like sure things. Keep an eye on Zach Morgan.
Do you have an overall grade for where the Giants stand with their catching?
ReplyDeleteA fresh, stronger, and wiser Bailey plus a LHB 2nd year Sabol should serve the Giants well especially considering that their offensive strengths come from opposite sides of the plate.
Baseball-Reference has an interesting tool that allows comparison of 2 players: Sabol wins the O (and Win Probability) and Bailey the D (overwhelmingly).
They both have things to work on this off-season, but we can feel fairly good with that position. With some development, both are young enough to have productive careers.
Two pluses for FZ here.
Probably a B. While Bailey and Sabol are not quite proven veterans, they form a dynamic young catching duo that could be a team plus for years to come. Gotta give them the chance to prove they can't so not an area in need of immediate upgrade.
DeleteWhile neither is Buster, Bailey is the only one of the two that should be catching next year. Put Sabol in the outfield, or wherever he played this year. And find some vet to back up Bailey.
DeleteA "B" isn't for Bad. What would it be if Joey Bart were the #1 C?
DeleteIf Joey Bart were the #1 C, that would likely mean he had a much better season than he did so I'd probably still give it a B for the upside.
DeleteIf Kap was still the manager I would just about guarantee Sabol would be the backup catcher for the left bat and position flexibility, but a new manager might have other ideas.
DeleteUnlike Joey Bart, Sabol has options so can be sent down to work on things.
DeleteI heard Sabol has 3 yrs of options. Kap loved Sabol play begining of year
ReplyDeleteThat is correct. Sabol has 3 years of options.
Deletesabol will likely start 2024 in sacramento to work on his defense at catcher and outfield.
DeleteDrB, can I change my "Anonymous" status to "Bob@Rio" ?
ReplyDeleteIt's OK with me but IDK anything about anything about how to do that.
DeleteAfter you hot Reply, hit Anonymous, and you can choose Anon again and enter your name under URL
DeleteThanks
DeleteWhy can't Bart back up Bailey? He's a plus defender and calls a solid game.
ReplyDeleteThat is a possibility.
Deletei can see bart being the backup if they don't land a veteran backup in free agency. i think they should consider a reunion with curt casali this offseason.
DeleteCurt Casali is 35 years old and had a -0.2 fWAR with the Reds this season.
Deletemaybe not casali but, another long in the tooth veteran backup for bailey
DeleteSince Bart will get less than any veteran, unless there's a veteran LHB with a good glove available for cheap –there's not – Bart & Sabol are it.
DeleteAlthough pretty much SSS, Bart hits RHP (2023 & career) better than Left, if the Giants don't pick up someone to platoon with Bailey, Bart could do it.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, they shouldn't "give" him away.
Btw, pull for Bochy. Go Rangers.
ReplyDelete