The catching depth for the San Francisco Giants has taken a major hit in a short period of time. The team placed starter Patrick Bailey and backup Tom Murphy on the injured list just one day apart earlier in May. So, to strengthen the depth, the Giants signed veteran Curt Casali to a Major League deal on Wednesday.
#SFGiants Roster Moves:
· C Curt Casali (#18) signed to a one-year Major League contract.
· C Jakson Reetz optioned to Triple-A Sacramento.
· C Tom Murphy transferred to the 60-day Injured List.— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 15, 2024
San Francisco Giants Sign Catcher Curt Casali
Casali previously joined the Giants midway through the 2021 season and stayed on through 2022. The Vanderbilt product is a career .220/.314/.380 hitter but has provided value as a backup catcher with a solid glove.
At 35, a backup role suits Casali best. However, San Francisco might need him to play a lot with their top two options out. The Giants announced that they signed Casali on Wednesday, and he was in the starting lineup that night. He even recorded the team’s first hit of the night and scored on a Mike Yastrzemski homer.
A welcome-back knock for Casali
pic.twitter.com/uj46FwTAJg
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 16, 2024
While Casali will make his season debut on Wednesday, he should be in game shape. The California-native signed a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins this winter but failed to make the Opening Day roster. After his release from Miami, Casali signed with the Chicago Cubs and has spent the past six weeks in Triple-A.
To his credit, the veteran earned a job with the Giants party due to solid Triple-A numbers. In 23 games, Casali hit .362/.489/.551 with two homers while drawing 15 walks and 16 strikeouts. The Giants did not sign Casali expecting this type of production. However, his numbers show that he can still provide quality at-bats and not serve as a total black hole in the Giants lineup.
Giants Demote Jakson Reetz
When the Giants signed Casali, the team sent Jackson Reetz to the minors. Reetz, 28, simply isn’t a major leaguer but was in the majors out of desperation. The Giants needed another body after Murphy went down, and Reetz represented the next name on the depth chart.
He made 12 plate appearances in five games and hit just .083/.083/.333. He recorded just one hit, although he’s likely proud that it was his first career home run.
JACKSON REETZ!! Hickman, NE native with his 1st big league home run!
pic.twitter.com/ebxC3S5FGY
— THE CORNHUSKER STATE (@GBRSKERZ) May 6, 2024
With Reetz back in the minors, Blake Sabol will split playing time with Casali in the majors. As a Rule 5 pick, Sabol needed to stay on the active roster all season long last year to remain in the Giants organization. He did just that and even held his own. The lefty saw time at catcher and left field and hit .235/.301/.394. Though his 92 OPS+ means his production was 8 percent below average, it was good enough for a rookie providing that much defensive value.
In 29 plate appearances in the majors this season, Sabol has hit .375/.483/.458 while making solid contact. At first glance, it seems the Giants will likely platoon Casali and Sabol until either one of them earns more playing time or until Bailey returns from his concussion issues. That said, the Giants are desperate for offense and recently lost two lefty outfielders due to injury. Sabol will have an opportunity to claim a permanent spot in the lineup if he continues to hit, even when Bailey returns.
Main Photo Credits: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
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