SF Giants add catching prospect as non-roster invitee after latest injury news

The injury news on Tom Murphy is not great as he continues to be sidelined with an injury. In reaction to this, the SF Giants officially added catching prospect Adrián Sugastey as a non-roster invitee.

SF Giants add catching prospect as non-roster invitee after latest injury news

Murphy sustained a mild oblique strain last week as pitchers and catchers reported. The original recovery timeline was expected to be within 10 days, but Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the veteran backstop will receive an epidural injection.

This does sound like he will be out for a bit, even putting his status for Opening Day in jeopardy. It is an unfortunate turn in Murphy's stint with San Francisco.

Murphy appeared in only 13 games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Given his extensive injury history, that was well within the range of outcomes. The right-handed bat is in the second year of a two-year, $8.25 million deal he signed last offseason. This includes a team option for 2026.

The focus will now shift to Sam Huff and Max Stassi for the backup catcher role. Huff would seemingly have the inside edge given that he is already on the 40-man roster with no options remaining. However, Stassi is an experienced option on a minor league deal. His contract should include an opt-out clause close to Opening Day. That deadline will become pretty interesting if Murphy is out for an extended period.

In the meantime, Adrián Sugastey will join the catching mix. Sugastey received a $525,000 signing bonus out of Panama during the 2019 international signing period.

Since then, he had generally hovered around the team's top prospect lists earlier in his pro career but not so much in the past year or so. That said, he is arguably the best catcing prospect in the organization at the moment.

The right-handed bat has slashed .269/.326/.370 with a 6.4 percent walk rate, 16.1 percent strikeout rate, and .101 ISO across four minor league seasons. This includes a stint in Double-A last year where he registered a .545 OPS with one home run and 22 RBI in 191 plate appearances. It bears mentioning that Sugastey has generally played against older competition in his entire career.

The 22-year-old does not swing and miss often but chases out of the zone too much. He does not hit for much power either. His offensive production will be driven by high babip rates.

Sugastey does a nice job behind the plate and he does profile as a backup catcher defensively. He is a quality framer and blocker but has a strong arm as well. While he is not in direct competition for a spot on the Giants roster, this could be a good learning experience for the young backstop.