The Giants have claimed catcher Patrick Mazeika off waivers from the Mets, tweets Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. The Mets had designated him for assignment a few days ago. To open a spot for Mazeika on the 40-man roster, infielder Donovan Walton has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and placed on the 60-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.
Mazeika, 28, was drafted by the Mets and has spent his entire career with the organization until now. He made his MLB debut last year and has gotten into 61 games between 2021 and 2022. He’s hit just .190/.236/.279 in that time but has much better numbers in the minors. In Triple-A this year, he’s hit .261/.383/.333 for a wRC+ of 105.
The Giants thinned out their catching depth by trading Curt Casali to the Mariners at the deadline. Joey Bart and Austin Wynns are with the big league club, while Yermin Mercedes and Ford Proctor are in the minors, though those latter two also play other positions and are only part-time catchers. Mazeika is also capable of playing some first base, meaning the Giants now have a collection of versatile depth catching options jockeying for playing time.
As for Walton, he was acquired from the Mariners in a May trade, with the Giants optioning him to the minors and recalling him multiple times this year. He was in the minors when injured but has been called up in order to be transferred to the 60-day injured list. This means he will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, but he will earn major league pay and service time for as long as he’s there.
I used to support Farhan’s claim-happy approach, but this is getting absurd. Half the dudes he claims are barely 40-man quality.
You’re underestimating Pat Mazeika. He’s a solid catcher and can hit if he gets consecutive starts.
Mazeika absolutely cannot hit. He could have two starts in a row or fifty. Good defense but he is atrocious at the plate.
He can’t hit a broad side of a barn.
Disagree.
He’s sporting a .348 woba against the broad side of barns but merely .146 against the barrow side.
I couldn’t find his numbers on hitting water if he fell out of the port vs starboard side of the boat.
Farts.
Narrow.
That was one of my best worst jokes!
But seriously, he had some weird clutch hits and always seemed to get one right when you were about to say “man, this guy is awful.” Will miss him.
Just a little.
But he has a higher average than Austin Barnes.
He’s barely above average in the minors. And 28. Seems like he’s not that good to me.
If he’s a solid catcher why did Mets dump him?
I don’t think he’s that solid. His rep was always that he was a bad catcher, potentially a good hitter. I’m sceptical that he’s suddenly such a good fielder.
Great college hitter, not bad at all in the minors at .277/.371/.423. He should be doing better in MLB.
He screwed up at the deadline when we could have got 3 or more top prospects except for some reason Zaidi was the only GM in baseball that didn’t know Rodan could opt out meaning he was only a playoff rental
Zaidi “dumpster diving!”
Totally agree with you. Doesn’t matter if he finds the occasional diamond in the rough dumpster diving when the bulk of the roster is terrible. Might be time to start thinking about moving on from Farhan and Kapler. If I was a free agent I certainly wouldn’t want to play for those guys.
I completely agree and if there is a catcher available to be claimed, its about a 90% chance that Farhan is claiming him
Wow. Didn’t foresee him getting claimed.
Michael Perez has shown himself to be far better than Mazeika, in every category except looking like a Brooklyn hipster.
Perez is batting .143 for the Mets; how is that better?
So Johnny Pereda and Andrew Knapp (whom this article doesn’t mentiion) aren’t enough mediocre-hitting catcher depth for the Giants ?
What I really don’t understand is why Walton was still on the 40-man roster. I know he couldn’t be DFA due to being on the injured list in the minors, but why didn’t they release and then re-sign him to a minor league deal like they did with that pitcher they claimed from the Dodgers. Nunez ? Now he’s costing them more money without representing a halfway decent depth option. And Isan Diaz continues to languish in Triple-A. Not that he offers the Giants much either, but he’s done just about everything he can to be called up.
I agree. It’s almost a neurotic obsession, this constant claiming and waiving of players. Zaidi’s schtick worked with the Dodgers because they had plenty of other talent, but it’s less effective with an older, underperforming of players.
If they are really committed to rebuilding they should be gutting this roster. Off the top of my head I would say Longoria, Leone, Wynns, and Slater can go right now. Szapucki can go work in the minors.
@commenter..Longo is gone next year, Leon possibly too along with Wynns. But Slater? No. He’s a good depth piece against lefty’s. Belt, Crawford can be added to that list also though
Mazeika gets to join former Mets teammate JD Davis in SF.
Surface stats may not show it but Maz is a good hitter. 296/.286/.407 in late and close situations
He’s a guy that won’t be an auto out in a clutch situation
Maz hitting better than Yaz.
Ugh, “clutch” give me a break
You ain’t a veteran catcher if you have not had been claimed or played in the Giants system.
Hey Tony Gwynn
I used to think that you were just an annoying troll trying to have some fun
but now I kind of agree with everybody else
you’re just an dick
Dude how many times are you going to try to say the same thing?? Give the comments like ten seconds to post before trying again and again and again
I rarely see this SD fan in San Diego Padres actual board, thus he seems to hang here more than there.
Hey Tony Gwynn
I used to think that you were just an annoying troll trying to have some fun
but now I kind of agree with everybody else
you’re just an a-hole
Hey Tony Gwynn
I used to think that you were just an annoying troll trying to have some fun
but now I kind of agree with everybody else
you’re just an a hole
Hey Tony Gwynn
I used to think that you were just an annoying troll trying to have some fun
but now I kind of agree with everybody else
you’re just an a/*^**#
Hey Tony Gwynn
I used to think that you were just an annoying troll trying to have some fun
but now I kind of agree with everybody else
you’re just an
5th times a charm.
Good luck Pat!
Funny I thought former #formerGiants Jose Godoy was going to be picked up instead. Maybe Farhan will cut Maz within 7 days as well.
Don’t know why the Giants sent Yermin down, he was their best option at DH, he may not have eye popping numbers but the power is there and he has a great swing, he has a great approach at the plate and his eye has developed to where he is every bit of a .270 / .350 / .425 – that’s my take anyways, but he needs everyday at bats.
His splits are an anomaly, his BA vs. righties is way low but he’s obviously seeing the ball if he’s taking walks because his .OBP is .370 vs. righties. He crushes lefties and while he didn’t put up power numbers if you’ve watched him hit he can crush the ball.
It’s my opinion that he needs to be in the lineup everyday and that the righty / lefty platoon and the uncertainty about whether or not he is going to get at bats puts pressure on him that takes away from his ability to be loose. I guess that’s something he has to get over as an MLB player but if I was managing a team Yermin would be my backup catcher and my primary DH.
I look at Yermin’s swing and I see Mike Trout. I don’t know if he can ever hit like Trout but same swing, I’d bet he gets it going and puts up some good numbers.