SF Giants outright left-handed-hitting catcher off of 40-man roster

The SF Giants had a day off on Thursday but the roster landscaping never ends with this front office. Per the team's transaction log, left-handed-hitting catcher Patrick Mazeika cleared waivers and was assigned to Sacramento.

SF Giants outright left-handed-hitting catcher off of 40-man roster

The Giants added Mazeika on a waiver claim from the New York Mets at the end of August. His time on the 40-man roster was brief as he was designated for assignment earlier this week. This move opens a spot on the 40-man roster, which the Giants will likely use to continue auditioning players for 2023.

In the last couple of weeks, Lewis Brinson, Austin Dean, Willie Calhoun, and Cole Waites have been added to the active roster with the hopes that one of them can make a solid first impression. The Giants will continue to see what they have in the farm system, especially with the minor league season ending shortly.

Mazeika was drafted by the Mets in the eighth round of the 2015 draft out of Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. In seven minor league seasons, the left-handed bat has registered a .276/.369/.423 line with a 10.4 percent walk rate against a 13.5 percent strikeout rate.

This includes 34 plate appearances with the Sacramento River Cats in which Mazeika registered a .665 OPS with two home runs, five RBI, and six runs.

The 28-year-old catcher has appeared in parts of two seasons with the Mets where he has recorded a .190/.236/.239 line (44 OPS+) with two home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 runs, 159 plate appearances. Despite his struggles at the plate, Mazeika is known for his work behind the dish where he is an excellent pitch framer and a solid blocker.

The roster move gives the organization a little extra catching depth. He will rejoin Andrew Knapp, Ford Proctor, Yermín Mercedes and Johnny Pereda as Sacramento's primary catchers.

This might be a short-term move as Mazeika will be eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season given that he has over six years of minor league service time. That said, the Giants do like to have catchers who hit from the left side, so a reunion is possible.