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San Francisco Giants Need to Find a Backup Catcher

By Jake Mastroianni

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 16: Rene Rivera #44 of the New York Mets rounds the bases after he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees during interleague play on August 16, 2017 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 16: Rene Rivera #44 of the New York Mets rounds the bases after he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees during interleague play on August 16, 2017 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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With all of the focus on Giancarlo Stanton, the San Francisco Giants don’t need to miss out on getting a solid backup catcher behind Buster Posey.

So while I know there are a lot of other areas the Giants need to address, we shouldn’t overlook the backup catcher position.

Wellington Castillo was just signed by the Chicago White Sox for 2 years and $15 million, which means the free agent catcher market could start opening up. Castillo was the second best free agent catcher on the market.

Nick Hundley did a pretty good job for the Giants last year and seems like a logical fit to bring back. He made $2 million last year and could probably be had for about the same.

The Giants recently added Aramis Garcia to the 40-man roster, but I don’t think he’s quite ready for that jump.

Another free agent catcher the Giants should consider is Chris Iannetta. He made just $1.5 million last year and hit 17 home runs in 89 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Iannetta will turn 35 at the beginning of the season, but is a veteran catcher who could add some leadership to the clubhouse.

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A couple of other names to consider are Rene Rivera, Miguel Montero, A.J. Ellis and Carlos Ruiz.

Rivera hit 10 home runs in 74 games last year between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.

I’d love to pair a double-digit home run hitter like Iannetta or Rivera with Posey, whose power numbers have gone down recently.

Hundley hit nine in 101 games last year for the Giants, which is why he makes sense as well. When you combine those totals with Posey’s you have a 20-plus home run hitter at catcher.

Ellis and Ruiz would both be great back-up catchers that could also add a veteran leader in the clubhouse. However, it’s not certain that either will want to play again in 2018, and if they do, it will probably have to be on a serious contender.

Next: San Francisco Giants Rumors: Giants set to meet with Stanton reps

As important as it is to find your studs like Stanton this offseason, I think the backup catcher could be one of the most important signings. The Giants need a veteran who can come in and make sure this team doesn’t endure another disaster like 2017.

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