President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi made it clear in the offseason that it wasn’t the plan to have the San Francisco Giants add another catcher on a major league contract. This came after the team strongly considered signing free agent catcher Gary Sánchez. The Giants front office ultimately decided that their catching depth went far enough. Sanchez went on to test the rest of the free agent market and evidently couldn’t lock down a major league deal.
Joey Bart is going on the IL with a mild back strain, Sean Hjelle is active. Giants will go with Roberto Perez and Blake Sabol for now. They had planned to have Sabol catch today anyway and need to figure out if he can stick on roster since he’s a Rule 5 pick.
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) April 2, 2023
The Giants took the opportunity to add him on a minor league contract. But what role he plays in the organization needs to be clarified. There’s Joey Bart, who has been placed on the 10-day IL with a back strain. Then, there’s Roberto Perez and Blake Sabol who are on the big league roster Indeed, Sabol can’t catch from a defensive standpoint, and his optimal position is left field. (By the way, I don’t know why he played catcher in the series finale against the New York Yankees. The Giants must have wanted to test him out there and work on things with him. The minors are the place to do that, but we understand that, as a Rule 5 pick, Sabol can’t be sent there.)
Why Did the Giants Add Another Catcher?
Limited Room for Sanchez
But even if we don’t see Sabol as a catcher, the Giants still have two capable catchers, with Austin Wynns in their minor league system. It is hard to see where Sánchez would fit in or when he would be called up. Of course, if he proves highly productive in the minors, that might bring him up on the depth chart. Aside from that, though, he will have a challenging path to the big leagues.
If an injury happened to either Bart or Perez, the Giants might call on either Wynns or Sánchez, given that Sabol is a lousy catcher. Wynns hit .259/.313/.358 in the majors last year with an OPS of .671. This was better than the 30-year olds batting line of .205/.282/.377 and a .659 OPS. Who’s first in line might come down to a minor league performance contest. He won’t get the call if Sanchez can’t get on base.
What Did the Giants Ultimately Have in Mind?
It’s doubtful they brought Sánchez into the mix for any significant reason. Minor league deals cost essentially nothing. They probably figured adding him to the organization couldn’t hurt.
That being said, it’s true that the Giants’ depth is one of their key strengths. They were correct in keeping that focus in mind. No one expected the Giants to add another catcher. But it certainly makes sense. They can’t go wrong with it.
Will Sánchez Contribute in 2023?
My guess is that he will be released before long. He will likely use his opt-out clause when May rolls around, even if he isn’t. It’s doubtful that the Giants will make it a significant priority to keep him in their organization. He is expected to be mediocre in 2023. Having remained a free agent for the entire spring training, he’s coming in cold. Thus, the task of getting him prepared remains.
Of course, he could turn out to be a surprise. They could call on him if something happens to the Giants’ catching structure. And Bart’s predictions are indeed hardly more favorable than Sánchez’s. There are a lot of unexpected events in baseball, so I’m not ruling out Sánchez getting an opportunity. It’s just an incredibly long shot. But with 90% confidence, he’ll either be in the minor leagues or become a free agent again.
Photo Credit: © Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned: Gary Sánchez, Joey Bart, Roberto Perez, Blake Sabol, Austin Wynns
