Giants ponder how to fill Posey's catching void

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants will be without one of the pillars of the franchise this year, as catcher Buster Posey announced Friday that he will sit out the 2020 campaign after adopting identical twin girls who were born prematurely and will have to spend quite a bit of time in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Posey’s decision to step away to protect the health of his family amid a global pandemic was fully supported by the Giants, but there’s no question they’ll miss his leadership and skill behind the plate this season.

“I don't think that anybody is under the illusion that we are going to be able to replace Buster Posey," manager Gabe Kapler said. “Buster has been one of the better players of this generation, arguably the best catcher of the last 10 years. We just don't have that sort of expectation, and right now we don't have anybody with that sort of track record.”

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said he will look externally to see if there’s a more experienced backstop available, but for now, the Giants will use the next couple of weeks to evaluate their five remaining catchers in camp.

Here’s a look at where the catching competition stands with less than two weeks to go until Opening Day:

Joey Bart

Giants fans are eager to see Bart, the second overall pick of the 2018 Draft, reach the Majors, but Zaidi and Kapler have said they are reluctant to hand over the reins to the 23-year-old top prospect just yet.

“I think we all feel pretty strongly that Bart has some development left,” Kapler said Friday.

Bart missed time with two separate hand fractures in 2019 and hasn’t played above Double-A. Without the ability to send prospects to Minor League affiliates this year, Zaidi said it’s become more difficult to evaluate young players and gauge their readiness to face Major League pitching on a regular basis.

Bart is unlikely to make the Giants’ Opening Day roster and could instead begin the regular season at the club’s alternate training site, where he will have the opportunity to gain more experience by playing in intrasquad games throughout the summer. He batted .278 with an .824 OPS and 16 home runs in 79 games between Class A Advanced San Jose and Double-A Richmond in 2019.

Tyler Heineman

Heineman, a 29-year-old switch-hitter, signed a Minor League deal with the Giants in January. He has a .363 career on-base percentage in the Minors and appeared in five games for the Marlins last year, going 3-for-11 with one home run.

Kapler said one of the factors that drew the Giants to Heineman was his ability to hit high-velocity fastballs.

“It's one of Tyler's strengths,” Kapler said. “Obviously, the flexibility of having the switch-hitter is important. He's also got exceptional recall. He's a good game planner, and we feel very confident that he's going to be able to implement our pitching staff’s game plans and have good recall around those, which is really important.”

Rob Brantly

Brantly, who also joined the Giants on a Minor League deal, is the most experienced catcher left in camp, with 126 Major League games under his belt. The 30-year-old appeared in one game with Kapler’s Phillies last year and struck out in his lone at-bat.

A left-handed hitter, Brantly spent the bulk of the 2019 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he batted .314 with an .866 OPS over 82 games.

“He sees pitches,” Kapler said. “Really understands the strike zone well on the offensive side, but also on the defensive side. As high energy, upbeat and positive as any person you'll be around. He's really made the clubhouse environment better.”

Chadwick Tromp

Tromp, 25, is a former Reds prospect and Aruba native who underwent shoulder surgery in 2018. He returned last year and hit .286 with a .999 OPS and seven homers in 26 games with Triple-A Louisville before becoming a Minor League free agent and landing with the Giants.

Kapler said Tromp has worked with bullpen coach Craig Albernaz to make adjustments to his throwing, which has already resulted in better carry on his throws. He also smoked a game-tying RBI triple off Sam Coonrod in the fifth inning of Saturday’s intrasquad game at Oracle Park.

“I think one of Tromp’s strengths is the ability to connect with pitchers, specifically some of the Spanish-speaking pitchers on our staff,” Kapler said. “Obviously, having the language mastery is helpful, but independent of that, he's a really bright guy with some good Minor League experience and success at the Minor League level from last year.”

Patrick Bailey

Bailey, 21, is the greenest of the group, as he’s only a month removed from being selected with the 13th overall pick of the 2020 Draft out of North Carolina State. Bailey was added to the Giants’ player pool largely for developmental purposes and is not expected to reach the Majors this year. Still, Kapler said he’s been impressed with how Bailey has handled the competitive environment at camp thus far.

“Pat’s got a lot of energy in his body,” Kapler said. “I really, really like his setup, and his flexibility in his ankles and his hips. Really nice exchange. I think what is most impressive is his body language and his poise.”