A race that has not gotten a lot of attention is the backup catcher spot, which is being fought over by Jesus Rodriguez, Daniel Susac, and Eric Hasse. Each of those three have made great cases to be the backup behind gold glove-winning backstop Patrick Bailey, though Giants manager Tony Vitello declined to mention a leader in the race when I asked him if there was one.
“The literal most honest answer I could give you is absolutely zero clue,” said Vitello. “You know, it's been really fun watching Rodriguez swing the bat the last few days, I can tell you that. And when we went over [to Goodyear to face the Guardians yesterday] with kind of a younger roster, he did a great job behind the plate. And then the other two guys, you could flip a coin on given what day it is.”
The other two guys, Susac and Hasse, both saw action in Goodyear yesterday as well. Susac came in in the bottom of the sixth inning and finished out the game, going 0-2 with a strikeout and worked three scoreless innings behind the plate before a wild ninth inning that saw Cleveland almost come back from a 5-1 deficit.
Hasse, meanwhile, showcased some versatility by playing left field for the final three innings, which is the kind of versatility that can land a guy a roster spot.
Will the race come down to who is the better offensive or defensive catcher is?
“I've always been defense first, behind the plate, and all the things that come with it,” said Vitello when I asked him if he prioritized defense or offense from the backup catcher spot. “Whether it's rapport with the catcher and the pitcher, or just being able to manage a game or keep guys calm in certain situations.”
If defense is the determining factor, my lean then would be towards Susac getting that final spot, but Rodriguez has been looking solid behind the plate as well, and has a greater offensive repertoire behind him as well.
Another factor in determining who gets that second catcher spot is how well each catcher does with the ABS challenge system. Bailey has set the standard, winning 10 of his 12 challenges this spring and showcasing that he can very much be an asset in calling for those challenges.
Rodriguez has not been challenged much, with two challenges so far, but he has been successful in both of them. Hasse is 1-2 in challenges and Susac 1-5. How much that will go into determining this race is yet to be seen, but it is definitely a boost for Rodriguez that he has had success in that department, even in a small sample size.
Offensively, there is a lot to like about each of the three backup options. Rodriguez is hitting .364/.440/.636 with a home run and three RBI, four strikeouts and three walks in 25 plate appearances. Hasse, and non-roster invite, is hitting .227/.292/.500 with two home runs, six RBI, 11 strikeouts and two walks in 24 plate appearances and Susas is hitting .318/.348/.409 with an RBI, a strikeout and a walk in 23 plate appearances.
If you had to twist my arm and make me pick who makes the team right now, I still lean Susac for the defense, but Rodriguez could be closing in fast on that spot. My preference is for Rodriguez, just to get a little more offensive pop off the bench, but that would be contingent on the defense being good enough that Vitello would trust him behind the plate. And I am not sure where Vitello is on that assessment.
The backup catcher spot is not always a sexy one, but the Giants and Giants fans have seen how important having a dependable second backstop can be. The championship teams had the dependable Hector Sanchez and Eli Whiteside behind the dish when Buster Posey was the starting catcher, and each of those two made various contributions with their glove and/or bat that made differences (it was Whiteside who’s single against the Padres in May of 2010 that prevented Mat Latos from throwing a perfect game against the Giants that year). Later backup options included Stephen Vogt and Curt Casali, with the latter being one of the most dependable backup catchers the Giants have had in recent memory.
The other side of the coin is the less dependable backup catcher, like the offensively challenged Chris Stewart and Eric Kratz, or Blake Sabol, who never really seemed like a solid option at catcher. So this is an important choice for this coaching staff to make, and the good news is all three options: Rodriguez, Susac and Hasse are making the choice difficult in a positive way.
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Erik Miller is showing encouraging signs in his recovery from lower back tightness that has prevented him from taking the mound for the Giants this spring. He faced hitters yesterday, and by all accounts, things went well, and he will face hitters again “real soon,” according to Vitello.
“Miller's gone along at a good pace,” said Vitello. “It's certainly not a frantic one, because he is experienced. We know what he's capable of. It's just about getting him in a good position for [Opening Day]. And if we hit that mark, great. And if not, it's not the end of the world that provides opportunity for other guys.” _______________________________________________________
Carson Seymour pitched four innings and allowed a run off a Steven Kwan double, but overall had a very positive outing against a Cleveland Guardians team that had a lot of regulars in their lineup.
“It was good,” said Seymour on Wednesday about his start. "I think the biggest goal was just mixing in more breaking balls. I had a lot of lefties up there, working on some new stuff, like mixing more forcing, there's more curveballs, a lot of cutters, and just kind of getting a good feel for that stuff.”
Indeed, Cleveland did throw a good amount of lefties at Seymour. Along with all-star outfielder Steven Kwan, Seymour saw four left-handed hitters to start the day, including all-star third baseman Jose Ramirez.
“It's just good, because that's something I got to work on,” said Seymour about facing so many lefties. “Righties, I feel like the sinker and the stuff plays, but then it's like focusing on the lefties and limiting damage to them.”
Seymour held Ramirez hitless in two at-bats, striking him out in the second at-bat after coaxing a fly ball to left in his first at-bat.
With four innings of work, it is fair to wonder what kind of role the Giants coaching staff has in mind for him. The rotation is more or less set, and Seymour is a guy who could work really well in a swingman-type role where he can come out of the bullpen and be ready for a spot start here or there. Think something like Yusmeiro Petit once upon a time.
“I was a starter last year, obviously in Triple-A,” said Seymour. “And then got called up and was in a bullpen, but honestly, I don't know what the plan is.”