Catcher is an under-the-radar tough decision for FZ to ponder as he and new GM Pete Putila prepare for the Hot Stove League. Joey Bart has as high a ceiling as any catcher in baseball but how long do the Giants give him to reach it? What if they have a chance to sign, say, Aaron Judge, but Judge says he'll only sign if they upgrade the catcher position? The 2022 dropoff in wins was spread across a wide board, but losing Buster Posey's WAR and Bart's growing pains were a major contributor. Speaking of Buster Posey, he's an owner now and apparently a very influential one. He undoubtedly has thoughts on the issue. On to the depth chart:
MLB:
Joey Bart .215/.296/.364, 11 HR, 8.9 BB%, 38.5 K%, 291 PA. This line comes with a BABIP of .326 so it's tough to project much improvement unless he can reduce the K rate. Second half split was better and he hit .328 in August but tailed off badly again in September after missing some time with a concussion.
Austin Wynns .259/.313/.358, 3 HR, 5.6 BB%, 21.5 K%, 177 PA. Wynns improved his numbers as the season progressed hitting .283 in the second half, .356 in September and was catching almost every other game by the end of the season. Could he and Bart flip roles?
Ford Proctor. MLB: .111/.182/.278, HR, 9.1 BB%, 13.6 K%, 22 PA. AAA(Giants): .267/.390/.448, 6 HR, 16.9 BB%, 26.8 K%, 142 PA. Primary position is 2B but added C to a utility resume. Has options so may stay on the 40-man roster but start the season in AAA.
Prospects of Note:
Brett Auerbach AA. .220/.311/.398, 17 HR, 12 SB, 11.3 BB%, 32 K%, 425 PA. Athletic multipositional player. Aggressive placement after a nice run in MLB spring training. Started off hot but went through a brutal midseason slump with a late season rebound. Nice power/speed combo. K rate needs to come down. I'm thinking AAA to start 2023.
Patrick Bailey A+. .225/.342/.419, 12 HR, 15.1 BB%, 22.2 K%, 325 PA. This line is a lot better than you might think from the BA. Switch hitter who is much better from the left side, but that is not a terrible split as a catcher.
Andy Thomas A+. .264/.400/.444, 9 HR, 16.2 BB%, 24.9 K%, 265 PA(Mariners). .174/.304/.221, HR, 14.7 BB%, 24.5 K%, 102 PA(Giants). Acquired midseason from the Mariners along with Micheal Stryfeller RHP for Curt Casali and Matthew Boyd. Lefty batter with solid plate discipline and some power. Getting extra PA's in the Arizona Fall League. 2 years before Rule 5 eligibility. Nice under-the-radar trade for FZ.
Adrian Sugastey A. .240/.329/.333, 5 HR, 8.8 BB%, 15.6 K%, 340 PA. Pretty solid numbers for a 19 yo C in A ball. Getting a few extra PA's in the Arizona Fall League. Should move up to A+ next season.
Juan Perez R(DSL). .222/.312/.294, 3 HR, 173 PA. International bonus baby. Age 17 season.
Depending on how strong the win-now pressure is, FZ could consider signing Willson Contreras who would be the clearest and quickest upgrade. The A's may be looking to trade Sean Murphy to make room for Shea Langeliers but will be looking for a massive haul in return. Beyond that it's tough to find any appealing options beyond giving Bart another year to develop and move on to one of the prospects if he crashes and burns.
If the Giants get good Defense from their catcher AND good hitting (with some D) from 3 new sources (including Judge & not including Pederson), that should be enough. Even for (a) Judge.
ReplyDeleteFinding an FA catcher that is a significantly better defensively than Wynns and Bart (or even Casali) isn't easy. According to Fangraphs (see link at end), Contreras isn't so measurably better and in some stats worse.
Forgetabout catchers this year, fix the hitting.
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=c&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=300&type=1&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=23,d&page=1_50
Wow...kinda harsh on Bart. This was his first full season, and I saw real progress over the course of the season. We got spoiled with Posey being one of the best catchers of his generation, and I don't expect Bart to be that great. But I do think Bart can be a very solid catcher for years to come. I see a lot of other holes to fill, but I'm quite comfortable giving Bart the catcher position for now.
ReplyDeleteIt would be a surprise if they signed Contreras. There's a huge investment in Bart and he performed well enough to merit a second year. My bigger concern is the concussion. If he is prone to them, it could shorten his career considerably, as his bat may not play at another position.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out Andy Thomas, who fell off my radar and gets no press (perhaps because of his .174 for the Giants). Seems like a non-trivial acquisition.
With Bailey, his RH splits are so awful and his LH splits are so promising it makes one wonder if he should just ditch the switch-hitting entirely.
As a group, it seems pretty strong.
Hey wait - what about Ricardo Genoves?
ReplyDeletewas thinking the same thing!
DeleteLet's see, hit .233 at AAA. Demoted to AAA where he hit .203. Second year of Rule 5 eligibility, possibly a minor league FA. Multiple other C's churned in ahead of him. Genoves does not appear to be on the Giants depth chart at this time.
DeleteGenomes i just read elected free agency
DeleteBart should get another shot - 1st couple of go's in MLB is tough. That he didn't improve during the year is distressing, but, to give the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he was pressing too hard.
ReplyDeleteComing into Spring Training with the overpowering Shadow of the surprise retirement of the HOFer was a bridge too far for the Rookie.
2023 is a clean slate - time for that huge coaching staff to get Bart right.
Which is what you said...
DeleteOn an unrelated note, Bruce Bochy is reportedly Interviewing for the Rangers manager job and is their primary target.
ReplyDeleteThis seems unacceptable. Kapler should step into management for a time to permit Bochy to return. Kapler can have it back when Bochy really retires.
IDK, I felt like Boch kinda lost his fire when Flan retired. He seemed to me to be mailing it in those last couple of years.
DeleteA-Are the Giants interested in this Japanese pitcher and B) What would he make in salary?
ReplyDeleteKODAI SENGA
SP, INTERNATIONAL PLAYER
According to Kyodo News in Japan, SoftBank Hawks right-hander Kodai Senga said on Saturday that he plays to play in the majors next season.
Senga told reporters that he will file for free agency and plans to sign with a major-league club this offseason. He has accrued enough service time with the SoftBank Hawks of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball that he will not be subject to the league's posting system. Senga, who turns 30-year-old in January, recorded a stellar 1.94 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 156/49 K/BB ratio across 144 innings this season in Japan. He should attract plenty of interest this offseason on the free agent market.
I saw that earlier today. Yes, would think the Giants would and should be interested. Have to say I am a bit mystified as to why the Giants have signed so few Asian players over the years. Seems like it would be Larry Baer's marketing wet dream...oh, sorry!
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