Miami Marlins sign 2021-2022 SF Giants catcher to minor league deal

A former SF Giants catcher from the 2021 and 2022 seasons is on the move. The Miami Marlins have signed veteran backstop Curt Casali to a minor league deal, per the team's transaction log.

Miami Marlins sign 2021-2022 SF Giants catcher to minor league deal

Of course, this includes an invite to spring training. The move had been reported over a week ago, but it had not been reflected on the transaction log until Monday.

The Marlins have Christian Bethancourt and Nick Fortes listed as the only catchers on the 40-man roster. Bethancourt came over from the Cleveland Guardians in an offseason move, whereas Fortes has appeared in parts of three seasons with the Marlins. He does have two minor league options remaining and is coming off of a season in which he posted a .562 OPS with six home runs in 323 plate appearances. There is an opportunity for Casali to make the club out of camp.

The veteran backstop is poised to enter his 11th season in the majors in 2024. He has spent the bulk of his time with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds, but he did spend parts of two seasons with San Francisco.

The Giants added him on a major league deal prior to the 2021 season. He shared catching duties with Buster Posey that year and the team had a lot of success when he was in the lineup. The Giants posted a 42-13 record in games started by Casali that year. Oftentimes, there is an element of randomness in baseball and this is one of those instances.

Nevertheless, he did have a quality run with San Francisco. In two seasons, he posted a .218/.317/.357 line (87 OPS+) before he was shipped to the Seattle Mariners at the 2022 trade deadline. Casali returned to the Reds for the 2023 season but struggled to the tune of a .490 OPS in 96 plate appearances.

The catcher position is not currently known for hitting, but Casali's bat typically hovers right around the average of what catchers typically produce in any one season. While the 35-year-old looks to continue his playing career, there is a good chance that he will transition to coaching once his career is done. For now, he is looking to break camp with Miami.