SF Giants news: Farhan Zaidi talks Buster Posey, Joey Bart

SF Giants exec Farhan Zaidi spoke about Buster Posey, manager Gabe Kapler coached kids via video, and Hunter Pence won some games in MLB The Show.

Last week we wrote that the comparisons between catcher prospect Joey Bart and superstar catcher Buster Posey are real. SF Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi recently weighed in himself, speaking with KNBR’s “Tolbert, Krueger, and Brooks” (ht NBC Sports Bay Area).

Zaidi:

"“The fact that Buster’s played some first base and Joey’s a guy we want to move around a little bit — when you think about building the ultimate 13-man position roster, I think it’s a disadvantage to have a starting catcher and somebody who’s just a backup. If you have two guys who are good offensive and defensive catchers who can play different positions, it almost gives you an extra half-roster spot with which you can try to match up and make sure your guys are fully rested.”"

Both players are coming off exceptional spring training performances. Posey hit for a .455 average, .478 on-base percentage,  .727 slugging, and 1.206 total OPS in 23 plate appearances in Arizona. Bart hit .438 / .526 / .875 / 1.401 in 19 plate appearances.

Sure, they’re just spring stats, but you’ll take positives where you can find them.

Bart is the club’s top-ranked prospect after being drafted second overall in 2018. He’s made a fast rise through the minors, though he suffered a setback when he broke his hand last year. He is expected to be on pace for a 2021 debut.

Of course, Brandon Belt is under contract through 2021, and hasn’t exactly been performing up to standards. So Zaidi will have to find his way through that problem as well.

In any case, it’s a good problem to have.

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SF Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler helping kids

The SF Chronicle wrote last week that manager Gabe Kapler and other coaches have found a positive way to spend some of their unplanned downtime: giving back to the next generation.

Kaper asked his coaches to record clinics using whatever equipment they happened to have around the house to create a program they are calling “Junior Giants At Home.”

“Kapler will contribute short videos covering the educational pillars of the program such as teamwork, confidence, anti-bullying, staying active and eating well,” Henry Schulman of the Chronicle wrote. “Giants nutritionist Leron Sarig will join Kapler for the last item.”

Pence’s Giants go  3-1 in The Show

Let’s check in on Hunter Pence’s play in MLB The Show, as we are wont to do with nothing else really going on right now.

Pence went 3-1 in play on Sunday, beating Card Edwards Jr’s Mariners (2-1), Rhys Hopkins’ Phillies (3-2), and Lance McCuller Jr’s Astros (5-3.  Jeff McNeil’s Mets won 3-1. You can watch Pence walk-off against Hopkins here.

The Giants moved out of the basement in the NL West, improving to 6-10.

SF Giants Quick hits:

Grant Brisbee asked which players both Giants fans and Dodgers fan can agree to love (The Athletic).

Brady Klopfer wrote about 50 things he missed about Giants baseball. (McCovey Chronicles)

Relive Madison Bumgarner’s epic World Series Game 7 save in 2014. (MLB.com)