Before we get started, to be clear, FZ does not have to do anything with Joey Bart. Joey could probably use at least a wee bit more seasoning in Sacramento and there's nothing stopping the Giants from assigning him there for the whole season if necessary. Buster Posey's resurgence has created some interesting options where Joey Bart's dynamic has shifted from "we must have him ready by 2022" to "what do we do with him until Buster retires?"
Before we look at those options, let's catch up on the season Joey had with Sacramento in 2021 at age 24:
.294/.358/.472, 10 HR, 7.5 BB%, 29.4 K% in 279 PA. He missed the better part of August with an injury.
That's an OK line but in the extremely hitter-friendly PCL, you ideally want to see more domination. The K rate remains worryingly high and the walk rate is pedestrian. I don't think anyone would blame FZ for thinking Bart needs to work on some things in Sacramento, but what other options are out there?
Again, we are assuming Buster is on board for at least another season. Curt Casali and his Magic Fingers are free agents but should be re-signable at a reasonable price. The Giants had a fantastic W-L record in games Casali was behind the plate including an impressive number of shutouts against the opposing teams. Offense was more of a concern. Early on he was still recovering from hamate surgery and and was an automatic out at the plate. He came back from the IL to hit over .300 in June and July but slumped badly in August and September to finish with a .210/.313/.350 line with 5 HRs in 231 PA. I know there are fans out there who want Casali gone next year but IMO, the Giants could do lot worse than bring him back with Bart getting polished up in Sacramento.
What about letting Casali walk and bringing Bart up to be Buster's backup? As challenged as Bart has been at the plate at the MLB level, the argument goes he would still be an upgrade on Casali at the plate and could learn at the feet of the master while seeing and making adjustments to MLB pitching rather than taking PCL batting practice. FZ seemed to lend some credence to this thought process by declaring at his postseason pressor that Bart is now "ready". More on that later.
The last option that has some people intrigued is what about a trade? The Giants have a multitude of roster holes to fill this offseason and it's likely prohibitive to try to fill them all with free agents. FZ will likely have to explore the trade market to bring in a SP or two or a lefty bat upgrade for the OF. What could Bart fetch on the trade market? The Marlins for one have openly said they are looking to upgrade catcher and Bart would appear to be a nice fit with years of salary control. The nice part for the Giants is FZ does not have to trade Bart. He can afford to let the market come to him.
Here's my take:
1. Re-sign Casali.
2. Ticket Bart for more work in Sacramento.
3. Trade Bart if the right deal comes along.
After the last 2 months he had in SJ, if Patrick Bailey continues to hit in the AFL as he has, the catching situation gets really interesting.
ReplyDeleteDoc, is there a consensus on who is the stronger defensive catcher, Bart or Bailey?
ReplyDeleteNot that I know of.
DeleteJust heard San Jose announcer Joe Ritzo on a podcast that Bailey is an excellent defense catcher. I know it doesn't answer which catcher is stronger defensively though.
DeleteIt is true that Casali leads the pitchers on both sides of the ball: the team wins when he catches (55 starts, just over 1/3 of the season and he spent some time on the shelf) and his splits look like a good hitting pitcher.
ReplyDeleteIt is also true that Posey will be 35 next year. Assuming FZ picks up his contract, he's good for up to 2021's 103 starts – but even with being off 1/3 of the games, his hitting, BA & power, fell significantly August through October 3.
Bart needs to play. He won't play backing up Posey and neither of them have the power numbers to play 1B. The less the Giants get from C's they need to get from 1B. Does anyone believe they'll get 78 HRs (1/3 their 2020 total) from Belt, Crawford, and Yaz again, if they are all onboard?
It's not a guarantee SF can sign Casali: someone else certainly knows he's incredibly effective. And he also must be aware that there's a guy in Sacramento that wants his job, and the Giants want him to take it.
1. If the Giants believe in Bailey, Bart is expendable but the return should be right. If they can't get what they need in SP or OF or 1B or whatever, he should stay in Sac. Bart misses the train.
2. If they are unsure about Bailey, they have to keep Bart, unless someone else really, REALLY wants him. Still, he might stay in Sac if Posey is holding up in his highly paid reduced role.
3. What happens with Belt and Bryant also affects what happens to Bart. He has no choice: whatever best for SF, Bart is stuck with it.
My bet is he's in Sacramento next April. Unless ...
Casali has a year of Arbitration left.
DeleteBaseball Reference:
Service Time (01/2021): 4.151 • Arb Eligible: 2022 • Free Agent: 2023
Gotta wonder if the stress of Aug-Sep-Oct sapped the Giants AND the Dodgers?
ReplyDeleteHow long can you HAVE TO WIN every day?
LA HAD to win the last 7 games of the season to have a chance to win the Division, had to beat St Louis, had to win the last 2 of the NLDS, now has to win 3 from Atlanta, 2 on the road.
They look tired, they've lost Turner and Muncy, Scherzer seams out of gas, Urias is tentative.
Atlanta seems relaxed but they were up 3-1 last year also.
Don't count the Dodgers out yet. I may hate them but a big part of the reason for that is they are so hard to finish off in a fight.
DeleteDoc,
ReplyDeleteAgree with your take, they should keep Bart unless they receive an overwhelming trade offer. It sounds like Buster won't play much longer, even if he comes back. Bart has a ton of value being one of the top catching prospects in MLB. Casali is arb eligible, but it's been said his presence was a big part of their pitchers success and why Buster got the days off he needed.