The San Francisco Giants appear to have added a new backup catcher to the depth chart behind Buster Posey. Veteran Nick Hundley has agreed to a reported one-year, $2 million deal with the Giants, as broken by Mercury News beat reporter Andrew Baggarly on Twitter.
#SFGiants in agreement with backup catcher Nick Hundley, who has passed his physical. Expected to be $2M major league contract.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) January 24, 2017
Giants Bring in Nick Hundley to be Buster Posey’s New Backup
Having spent parts of seven seasons with the San Diego Padres and the last two with the Colorado Rockies, Hundley is very familiar with the National League West Division. The 32-year-old backstop is known for developing a strong rapport with his pitchers, and has also been a consistent hitter at the plate despite receiving sporadic playing time over the course of his nine-year MLB career.
Hundley hit .260 with 10 home runs and a career high 48 RBI while appearing in 83 games last season. In 2015, he posted a career best .301 batting average in 103 games with the Rockies. The Corvallis, Oregon native will solidify the Giants catching depth behind Posey, providing Bruce Bochy with a more reliable and productive option to turn to in the event of an injury or day off.
Will Help Alleviate Pressure, Workload for Posey
Posey started a career high 122 games behind the plate in 2016, and the heavy workload in the squat took it’s toll on the 2012 NL MVP. This was especially true with respect to his power stroke, as Posey’s 14 home runs were the fewest he’s hit over a full season in his MLB career. Hundley will come as an upgrade over last year’s backup Trevor Brown, and gives Bochy the luxury of allowing Posey to have more days off to rest and keep his legs fresh throughout the season.
In a corresponding move, the Giants have designated middle infielder Ehire Adrianza for assignment to make room for Hundley on the 40-man roster. Hundley will get the chance to start working with his new Giants teammates when pitchers and catchers report to the club’s Spring Training facility in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 15.
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