Runner up in SF Giants catching competition shows up at Triple-A in depth move

Eric Haase did not make the club out of spring training and was subsequently released. The power-hitting catcher’s foray into free agency did not last long, as he reunited with the SF Giants on a minors pact.

Runner up in SF Giants catching competition shows up at Triple-A in depth move

When the Giants finalized the Opening Day roster, Buster Posey said on KNBR that he had some tough conversations with players about the roster cuts. Haase was among those tough conversations.

The Giants extended a camp invite to Haase to compete for the backup catcher job. He joined Daniel Susac and Jesús Rodríguez in that competition.

The Giants traded for Susac, who is still a Rule 5 pick, and he had the inside track for the job. While he entered camp as a likely frontrunner, he performed well enough to maintain that stance and win a roster spot.

Haase put up respectable numbers in the Cactus League, recording a .911 OPS with two home runs and eight RBI in 32 plate appearances. He was one of the final cuts, and made an impact on Posey. 

Across eight major league seasons, the right-handed bat has posted a .675 OPS with a 6.2 percent walk rate and a 30.7 percent strikeout rate. This included a .725 OPS against southpaw pitchers, which is an area the Giants have struggled badly at in recent years. With Haase, there were be respectable power number and a lot of strikeouts. 

When the Sacramento River Cats season began, Jesús Rodríguez, Logan Porter, and Thomas Gavello were penciled in to handle catching duties. Rodríguez is on the 40-man roster, and the Giants remain intrigued by his versatility. They know his defense behind the plate is a work in progress, and that remained true through the first couple of games. 

With this group, there is a lot of versatility, but not a true everyday or backup backstop. The addition of Haase gives them more experience behind the dish.

The veteran catcher joined Sacramento on Wednesday night and collected three hits in a 10-5 win over the Salt Lake City Bees. He took over at catcher, whereas Rodríguez shifted over to second base.