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Buster Posey

Giants Notes: Posey, Webb, La Stella, Sanchez, Rotation

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The Giants activated right-hander Logan Webb from the 10-day injured list to start tonight’s game against the Nationals. In a corresponding move, Buster Posey was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 6, with a left thumb contusion.

Posey hasn’t played since leaving last Sunday’s game early after being struck by a foul tip. It doesn’t seem there’s huge cause for concern, as the star backstop told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area and Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic) he’s hopeful he’ll return when first eligible next Friday. That’d be the Giants first game coming out of the All-Star Break, and it doesn’t seem there was any chance of Posey playing during this weekend’s series with Washington. The former MVP told reporters he’s currently unable to catch or swing the bat. Of course, that’ll also rule Posey out from participating in the All-Star Game, which he’d been slated to start as the National League’s representative at catcher.

In better health news for the Giants, infielder Tommy La Stella is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Pavlovic). A significant hamstring strain sent La Stella to the injured list on May 4. He began a rehab assignment in late June but suffered a fracture in his right hand that halted his recovery. It’s been a disappointing season for La Stella, who has hit .235/.297/.353 over his first 75 plate appearances.

He’ll be joined on the rehab assignment by right-hander Aaron Sanchez (relayed by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Like La Stella, Sanchez went on the IL in early May, began a rehab assignment last month, and then had to be shut down because of an unrelated setback. Sanchez’s initial injury was biceps inflammation, but his comeback was delayed by a blister. He’s apparently ready to return to game action, as he’ll start for Low-A San Jose tomorrow night.

Getting Webb and Sanchez back should help fortify a starting rotation that has been one of the league’s best. Nevertheless, San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi suggested the club could be in the market for external rotation help before the July 30 trade deadline (via Maria Guardado of MLB.com). With Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood, Johnny Cueto and Webb all having decent to stellar seasons, there seems to be little room on the surface for another starter, especially with Sanchez nearing a return.

That’s a group that (aside from Gausman) has traditionally had issues staying healthy, though, so it’s plenty sensible for the San Francisco front office to look to add some depth. At 54-32, the Giants are up a game on the Dodgers and four games up on the Padres in a tightly-contested NL West. There’s plenty of logic in safeguarding against potential injuries for the stretch run.

There’s also the matter of the Giants longer-term outlook to consider. Of their current starters, only Webb is a lock to be back in 2022. Gausman, DeSclafani and Wood are all slated to hit free agency, while Cueto’s $22MM club option is likely to be bought out for $5MM. Zaidi downplayed the importance of adding a multi-year player — instead suggesting the bigger priority is simply stockpiling depth for the second half of 2021 — but the front office figures to at least explore acquisitions of potential starters who could solidify the rotation beyond this season as well.

Buster Posey Exits Game Due To Thumb Contusion

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11:17PM: Manager Gabe Kapler confirmed that Posey wouldn’t be starting Monday’s game, but told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area) that Posey might be available off the bench.

11:01PM: Giants catcher Buster Posey left tonight’s game with a left thumb contusion after he was struck by a foul ball from the Diamondbacks’ Daulton Varsho.  Posey stayed in the game for the remainder of Varsho’s at-bat but was then replaced behind the plate by backup Curt Casali.

X-rays were negative on Posey’s thumb, as reported by The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly (Twitter links) and other journalists following the game.  This is undoubtedly a huge sign of relief for the team and San Francisco fans, given how a more severe injury could have threatened to derail both the Giants’ dream season and Posey’s big comeback year.  The veteran is hitting .328/.421/.547 with 12 home runs through 233 plate appearances, and is on pace for his best season since his MVP campaign in 2012.

Posey’s resurgence earned him a well-deserved starting slot on the NL All-Star team, though his participation in his seventh Midsummer Classic might now be up in the air if the Giants want him to take it easy in the wake of this injury.  An injured list visit might not be entirely out of the question, though Baggarly notes that Posey was already scheduled to sit during tomorrow’s game with the Cardinals.  The Giants also have an off-day on Thursday, so this rest might be enough for Posey to avoid the IL.

Casali has posted some decent numbers during his career but hasn’t produced much in 2021, hitting only .192/.298/.313 in 114 PA.  He could handle the starting duties in the event of a brief Posey IL stint, and Chadwick Tromp would likely be called up from Triple-A for backup duty.  Top prospect Joey Bart is demolishing pitching at Triple-A, though Bart is himself dealing with an injury after being hit by a pitch on his foot during Friday’s game.

MLB Announces All-Star Starters

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Major League Baseball announced the starting lineups for the 2021 All-Star Game this evening. The starting lineups are determined by fan vote. This year’s All-Star Game will take place in Coors Field on Tuesday, July 13. The starting pitchers and reserves will be announced at a later date.

National League

American League

*On the 60-day injured list

Giants’ Latest Roster Moves

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The Giants made a number of roster moves on Tuesday, provided here by Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). On the pitching front, San Francisco purchased Dominic Leone’s contract from Triple-A and optioned righty Nick Tropeano. The recently-acquired Sam Delaplane was also moved to the 60-day injured list.

The well-traveled Leone has a 4.09 career ERA over 253 career innings for the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Indians, for whom he pitched in 2020. Tropeano, 30, pitched well in four appearances, giving up just one earned run in six innings. He threw two scoreless against the Angels on Monday, so his demotion could simply be about getting a fresh arm in the bullpen.

The Giants also made a change behind the plate, placing Curt Casali on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain. He’s not expected to be out for more than the 10-game minimum, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Those hoping to see top prospect Joey Bart will be disappointed, however. It’s reasonable to assume that the short-term nature of the injury does not warrant disrupting Bart’s development.

Instead, Chadwick Tromp has been recalled to serve as Buster Posey’s backup behind the plate for the next 10 days. The 26-year-old backstop debuted last season, posting a 65 wRC+ in 64 plate appearances.

Lastly, Crowley adds that Evan Longoria’s injury appears to be a mild intercostal strain, and he’ll avoid a stint on the injured list. Longoria is enjoying a resurgent season at the plate this year with a 139 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR through 178 plate appearances.

West Notes: Ohtani, Posey, Owings, Long

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Shohei Ohtani has been scheduled to start Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, the Angels announced today.  The two-way star has pitched just once this season due to a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, but he threw three bullpen sessions this week of increasing pitch volume, topping out at a 30-pitch bullpen on Saturday.

With no further issues in the wake of these sessions, Ohtani will look to build on an inconsistent first start that saw him allow one earned run over 4 1/3 innings against the White Sox on April 4, but with five walks and two hits allowed.  While Ohtani has been kept off the mound, the blister hasn’t slowed down his red-hot bat, as Ohtani is hitting .333/.370/.706 with four home runs in 54 plate appearances.

More from both the AL West and NL West..

  • It isn’t yet known if Buster Posey will require an injured list placement, as Giants manager Gabe Kapler said the catcher will be re-evaluated on Monday.  Speaking to reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly) before and after today’s game with the Marlins, Kapler said pre-game that there was some swelling in Posey’s left elbow, but during the post-game noted that the swelling had lessened.  Posey left Saturday’s game in the seventh inning after being hit by a pitch, and x-rays were negative on the catcher’s elbow.
  • The Rockies moved Chris Owings from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list earlier today, as Owings will have to undergo surgery on his left thumb.  Manager Bud Black told The Athletic’s Nick Groke and other reporters that Owings will need at least eight weeks of recovery time.  Owings’ injury was initially diagnosed as a left thumb sprain when he was first placed on the IL last week, but the veteran utilityman is now going to end up missing a big chunk of the 2021 campaign.
  • After undergoing surgery last September to fix a stress fracture in his right shin, Mariners utilityman Shed Long continues to make some progress on the recovery trail.  Manager Scott Servais updated reporters (including Jen Mueller of Root Sports) on Long, saying that he is still having difficulty making changes of direction on his shin and making stops when running, though Long is able to run and sprint without any problems.  It isn’t yet known when Long might be ready to make his 2021 debut.

Quick Hits: Odorizzi, Posey, Miggy, Mazara, Rays

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Jake Odorizzi was linked to the Mets last winter, though in a recent podcast appearance alongside former Twins teammate — and current Met — Trevor May on The Chris Rose Rotation, Odorizzi indicated that the team’s initial interest was generated by team president Sandy Alderson.  (Mike Puma of the New York Post has an account of Odorizzi’s comments.)  Once Jared Porter was hired as the Mets’ GM, however, the interest dissipated, and the situation didn’t reignite after Zack Scott took over the job after Porter’s resignation.  “Early on, I thought I was going to be a member of a certain team, then some people took over that team and they pretty much hated me, so it fell through.  It was Trevor’s team,” Odorizzi said.

Odorizzi reportedly drew interest from several teams beyond only the Mets, but he didn’t end up finding a new club until early March, when he signed a two-year deal with the Astros worth $23.5MM in guaranteed money.  The long wait didn’t sit well with the right-hander, who described his free agent stint as “the single most frustrating time I’ve had in baseball.  At certain points you think you are going to be a member of a certain team and then it falls through or whatever maybe and it’s like, ’All right, now what?’ And it’s March and I am still sitting at the house.  It’s like, ’What the hell is going on right now?’ ”

More from around the baseball world…

  • X-rays were negative on Buster Posey’s left elbow after the Giants catcher was hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of tonight’s game with the Marlins.  Posey remains on the basepaths after being hit, but was replaced by Curt Casali at catcher in the bottom half of the inning.  Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including NBC Sports Bay Area’s Marcus White) that Posey suffered an elbow contusion.  Casali was already likely to start tomorrow’s game, though if Posey needs a bit of recovery time short of an proper IL stint, the Giants might have to call up Chadwick Tromp or Joey Bart so they aren’t shorthanded behind the plate.
  • Tigers manager A.J. Hinch provided Chris McCosky of the Detroit News and other reporters with some updates on injured players.  Miguel Cabrera (left biceps strain) will be on the injured list beyond the 10-day minimum, as Hinch said the veteran slugger wouldn’t be available for the Tigers’ series with the Pirates from April 20-22.  However, Cabrera is making progress with baseball activities, taking grounders and hitting in an indoor batting cage.  Hinch said the plan is for Cabrera to take on-field BP during that Pirates series, “and once he does that for a few days, then we will make an assessment on what’s next for him after that….We’re going to go series by series with him.”  As for Nomar Mazara, the Tigers outfielder hit the 10-day IL last Thursday due to a left abdominal strain.  Hinch also expects Mazara’s IL stint to last beyond 10 days, estimating “a couple of weeks” but noting that the nature of the injury makes it difficult to project a specific timeline.
  • Yoshi Tsutsugo is off to a rough start, with only a .154/.214/.179 slash line over his first 43 plate appearances of the season.  This performance has already cost Tsutsugo playing time, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if it might lead the Rays to part ways with Tsutsugo altogether, maybe as soon as May when Ji-Man Choi is off the injured list.  It would essentially be a punt on the $7MM salary Tsutsugo is owed this season, and while the low-payroll Rays would be loath to eat that much money, Topkin writes that “the Rays may decide Tsutsugo is a lost cause.”  The terms of Tsutsugo’s two-year, $12MM contract prevent him from being sent to the minors without his permission.  Tsutsugo was pretty average (98 wRC+, 99 OPS+) over 158 PA in his first Major League season in 2020, with the obvious caveats that he had to deal with the pandemic on top of the difficulties of adjusting to a new league.

Quick Hits: Miley, Kirk, Giants, Posey, McGee

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The Reds have gotten some unfortunate injury news over the last few days, but it appears as though southpaw Wade Miley won’t miss any time after a hamstring strain forced him out of his last Spring Training outing.  As per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link), Miley threw close to 35 pitches in a bullpen session yesterday and is now slated to start for the Reds tomorrow.  After signing a two-year, $15MM contract with the Reds in the 2019-20 offseason, Miley’s first season in Cincinnati was a veritable wash, as he posted a 5.65 ERA and was limited to only 14 1/3 innings due to groin and shoulder injuries.  Miley and the Reds are certainly hoping for a return to form, as Miley is expected to eat innings and provide some veteran experience at the back of the rotation.

More from around the league…

  • Between Alejandro Kirk’s impressive 25-PA big league debut last season and his huge numbers this spring, the catcher is forcing the Blue Jays into a decision, The Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm writes.  Kirk looks to have more upside both in the present and future than incumbent backup Reese McGuire, but McGuire is out of minor league options, and thus can’t be sent down to the minors without being exposed to waivers.  Chisholm makes the argument that adding Kirk to the MLB roster “seems like a no-brainer,” all things considered.  The Jays have enough other minor league catching depth to arguably afford losing McGuire, and Kirk is a better fit for a win-now team like the Blue Jays, even to the point of sharing playing time with Danny Jansen rather than being just a backup catcher.
  • A number of Giants-related topics are covered by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser as part of a reader mailbag, including a question about Buster Posey’s future.  This is the final guaranteed year of Posey’s contract, but Slusser doesn’t think Posey is considering retirement following the 2021 campaign.  If anything, Posey “looks rejuvenated this spring after” opting out of the 2020 season, “and goodness knows, he’s very competitive. I don’t think he’s lost an ounce of that fire.”  Whether 2021 could be Posey’s last season in San Francisco is another matter, as the Giants don’t seem likely to exercise their $22MM club option on Posey for 2022, but may look to re-sign him to a less-expensive short-term deal with an eye towards transitioning him into an eventual post-playing role within the organization.
  • From that same piece, Slusser feels Jake McGee looks like the Giants’ top choice for save situations, though the team probably won’t officially anoint McGee as the closer out of a preference to be as flexible as possible with reliever usage situations.  The left-hander signed a two-year deal worth $5MM in guaranteed money back in February, and while McGee has closing experience in the past, he has mostly worked in a setup role over the last four seasons.

NL Notes: Posey, Scherzer, Stanek

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After a year off, Giants icon Buster Posey will return as their “primary catcher” in 2021, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle) on Tuesday. Posey opted out of last season over family health concerns (he and his wife had just adopted twin girls who were born prematurely), and he discussed his decision this week with Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. The 33-year-old told Baggarly he’s “comfortable” with the choice he made because of the unknowns at the time, including whether Major League Baseball would even be able to get through its season. Posey added that he’s “confident” he’ll play next year, which will be the last guaranteed season of his contract. The Giants may have an heir apparent in Joey Bart, but he and the rest of their catchers had rocky seasons in 2020. It now appears they’ll take a backseat to Posey for at least one more year.

  • Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Tuesday he was unaware of any extension talks between the team and ace Max Scherzer. It appears those could get underway soon, though. Agent Scott Boras said he’ll get together with Nationals owner Ted Lerner after the new year, and “we’ll see how that goes” (via Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington). That doesn’t necessarily mean the two sides will just discuss Scherzer – Boras does represent other Nats, not to mention current free agents – but the three-time Cy Young winner does seem likely to be a key part of the discussion. Scherzer’s entering the last season of the seven-year, $210MM he signed with the Nationals in 2015.
  • The Reds are among the teams interested in free-agent reliever Ryne Stanek, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports. The 29-year-old right-hander spent last season in Miami, where he yielded eight earned runs on 11 hits (including three homers) and eight walks in just 10 innings. The Marlins non-tendered the hard-throwing Stanek after that ghastly showing. To Stanek’s credit, he isn’t far removed from a strong run from 2018-19 as a Ray and Marlin. He frequently worked as an opener then and combined for a 3.52 ERA/3.94 FIP with 10.67 K/9 against 4.14 BB/9 across 143 1/3 innings. Stanek will have another two years of arbitration eligibility left after 2021, so he could be a multiyear piece for the Reds or someone else if he bounces back.

Giants Notes: Bart, Offseason Goals

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Giants fans got their first look at catcher-of-the-future Joey Bart in 2020, but it sounds as though Bart’s likely destination to open the 2021 season will be back in the minor leagues. As Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi suggested in his end-of-year chat with reporters that Bart could still use some more development time. Buster Posey will be back after opting out of the 2020 season, and Zaidi pointed out that Aramis Garcia will be back from hip surgery as well.

Zaidi also implied that the club could add a veteran backup to its catching corps over the winter: “Getting some help (would) enable Joey to get a little bit more of that development.”

Fan expectations for Bart this season were sky-high and, as is most often the case, probably unfair. The 23-year-old former No. 2 overall pick had scarcely played above Class-A Advanced, with just 22 games of Double-A work under his belt when he was called to the big leagues this year. Posey’s opt-out and a lack of appealing options elsewhere in the organization forced the move, and while Bart impressed early, his production soon wilted. His final 45 plate appearances were particularly tough, as Bart collected just seven hits and punched out 18 times down the stretch. Overall, his .233/.288/.320 slash and 37 percent strikeout rate certainly suggest that he’d benefit from some time in Double-A and/or Triple-A.

The organization remains “super high” on Bart, Zaidi stressed, pointing to Bart’s strong exit velocities and hard-hit rate. There’s little doubt that Bart is still the team’s long-term plan at catcher, but it’s also readily apparent that the lack of a minor league season in 2020 hampered Bart’s progression a bit, as it did for so many others throughout the league.

Beyond poking around the market for a backup catcher, the Giants will have some other work to do. Zaidi has expressed interest in re-signing free agents Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly, and Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News adds that Zaidi felt his club was “one left-handed bat short” in 2020. A lefty bat who can play multiple positions and give Evan Longoria some breathers a third base seems ideal, Crowley writes. That could be a role the Giants hoped Pablo Sandoval would fill in 2020, although it obviously didn’t play out that way.

Speculatively speaking, Tommy La Stella would seem an ideal fit in that role. Other options on this year’s market include Asdrubal Cabrera, Jake Lamb, Marwin Gonzalez, Brad Miller and rebound hopeful Brock Holt (among others). The trade market would create myriad other possibilities.

It stands to reason based on the interest in retaining Gausman and Smyly that the Giants will explore other rotation upgrades should that pair eventually sign elsewhere. There’s little certainty in the rotation without that pair. Johnny Cueto will be back for the final season of his contract but struggled for much of the 2020 season. Young righty Logan Webb made 11 starts but finished with a 5.47 ERA. The Giants control Tyler Anderson for another season, and he was solid if unspectacular in 2020.

Beyond Gausman, Smyly, Cueto, Anderson and Webb, the only other pitchers to start multiple games for San Francisco in 2020 were Trevor Cahill (six) and Jeff Samardzija (four). Both are out the door this winter, as is veteran lefty reliever Tony Watson. Starting pitching and relief pitching should be a focus if the Giants plan to contend next year.

And at the end of the day, for all the talk of how the Giants have been rebuilding, Zaidi expressed for a second consecutive winter that his goal remains to put a playoff team on the field next year. San Francisco was in the hunt for a Wild Card spot until the final day of the season in 2020, per Crowley.

The Giants should have financial leeway to augment the roster, with about $96MM committed to next year’s payroll and what should be a light arbitration class. Looking ahead to 2022, Longoria’s $19.5MM salary is the lone guaranteed contract on the ledger. The widespread expectation is that teams will be rather reserved on the free agent market this winter after substantial revenue losses in 2020. But if the Giants want to spend, they have a rather wide-open payroll outlook that should allow them to do so.

The Giants’ Options For Replacing Buster Posey

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The Giants are in true limbo behind the plate. Organizationally, they have one of the better catching situations in all of baseball. On the one hand, they have a tried-and-true franchise legend still under contract in Buster Posey. Not only was he the backbone of three, count ’em, three World Series titles, but he’s a class act and a fan favorite. In his prime, he was the platonic ideal of a franchise catcher. Admittedly, he is on the decline. Last season was the first since 2011 that the then-32-year-old didn’t make the All-Star team. He’s gone from a 130-start powerhouse behind the plate to more of a true timeshare 100-start guy. He also fell below 100 wRC+ for the first time in his career (save for his 7-game stint as a 22-year-old in 2009). And more to the point, he opted out of the 2020 season to care for his newly adopted twin baby girls. Again: class act.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Giants are blessed with two of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. Joey Bart, the #2 overall pick from the 2018 draft is ranked by Baseball America as the second best catching prospect in all of baseball. Then, with the 13th pick in this year’s draft, they snagged the top NCAA catcher available in Patrick Bailey.

So, yes, big picture, the Giants have an enviable catching corps. But they need to field the position for 2020, and that’s where things get a little sticky. Bailey, 21, has zero chance of jumping straight to the majors from college. He needs time in pro ball to develop. Bart is closer, but all indications are that the Giants want to give him more time, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s close, appearing in 22 games at Double-A last year and raking to the tune of .316/.368/.544. But a talent like Bart is worth the wait, and though he might be ready at some point this season, the Giants aren’t likely to contend. They don’t want to punt the first part of his career in sub-optimal conditions.

Enter Russell Martin? Schulman put forth Martin’s name as a possibility, noting that Justin Turner lobbied for the veteran to return to the Dodgers recently. Even in a part-time capacity, the well-respected Martin would certainly make some sense. The 37-year-old backstop proved he still had a role on a ML club last season with the league-leading Dodgers. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said that the Giants will have to evaluate their internal and external options, and if nothing else, they’re likely going to need someone else in camp just to catch the pitchers on hand.

Without him, the Giants are looking at Chadwick Tromp, Tyler Heineman, and Rob Brantly as the top options from their player pool. Combined, they have 464 big-league plate appearances (429 from Brantly, 11 from Heineman). Brantly, 30, is by far the most experienced of the three, but he hasn’t seen substantive time in the majors since 2017. For the rebuilding Giants, they’re probably most concerned with their ability to handle pitchers and less concerned with contributions at the plate – which is the best argument in favor of pursuing a vet like Martin.

There are catchers out there they could acquire via trade, but with 60-man player pools, catchers fill a very particular need, and player movement has never been more complicated than it is now. Still, they could engage the Rockies’ for Elias Diaz or the Rangers for Blake Swihart, Tim Federowicz, or Nick Ciuffo. Those are just options from teams in their regional pool because, again: player movement is not simple anymore. For those reasons, Martin probable represents the best outside option.

The Giants support Posey in his decision, and they’re going to continue to work with Bart and Bailey to get them ready for their big-league debuts. Maybe Bart will find a way in intrasquad play to prove himself ready. Or maybe one of Tromp, Heineman, or Brantly will seize the opportunity. What we know for sure, the Giants have 60 games ahead in the 2020 season, and they’re going to need a catcher for every one of them.

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