The Giants today announced their signing of outfielder Michael Conforto, making that deal official. To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Austin Wynns was designated for assignment.
Wynns, 32, was drafted by the Orioles and was with that organization through the end of the 2021 season. He earned a reputation as a sold defender and game-caller behind the plate but didn’t provide much offensively. He made 331 plate appearances for the O’s over the 2018-2021 period but hit just .216/.255/.326 in that time.
He was outrighted at the end of that 2021 campaign and reached free agency, signing a minor league deal with the Phillies. In June of 2022, he was acquired by the Giants, who optioned Joey Bart to the minors amid his struggles last year. Wynns eventually got into 66 games for the Giants over the final months of the season, with his offensive results showing a bit of improvement. He hit .259/.313/.358 for a wRC+ of 93. It’s possible a .320 batting average on balls in play, much better than the .290 league average, was helping him out a bit though.
This transaction highlights that the Giants will probably look do something else behind the plate. They now only have two catchers on their 40-man roster, one of whom is Bart, who has struck out in 38% of his plate appearances thus far. The other is Blake Sabol, a Rule 5 draftee of the Pirates’ system with no major league experience thus far.
The Giants will now have a week to trade Wynns or pass him through waivers, but he would have the right to reject an outright assignment in the latter scenario. Any player with a previous outright in their career, as Wynns does, has the right to elect free agency on future outrights. Since the Giants will likely look for veteran help behind the plate, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them re-sign Wynns to a minor league deal at that point. However, Wynns will first have to see if any other club is interested in giving him a 40-man roster spot, either through a trade or a waiver claim.
Wynns had a quietly solid season last year.
I think you mean he had a quietly lucky babip in a small sample
point is he’s just another interchangeable backup catcher, nothing special. the Giants will not have a problem replacing his 0.4 war either via FA or internal options.
@chazzycat
Eh, most of the best catching have been swept up, and while Wynn’s production is not insurmountable, it is certainly on the higher end of emergency depth players being used as a fill-in (which is admittedly a low bar). In fact, the Giants tried it last year with guys like Papierski and Knapp (as well as the revolving door of catchers in 2020), which did not go well.
So there’s still time to get a guy like Roberto Perez or Luis Torrens and hope for the best, but interchangeable backup catchers are not the dime a dozen players you are making them out to be.
Torrens is not good behind the plate and hit .225/.283/.298. Wynn’s was better
@crazybaseballgal
Fair enough. With Torrens, the best hope would be he hits closer to his 2021 numbers than 2022 if he were to be the answer, but wasn’t aware he was bad behind the plate. In that case, hard pass.
No the Giants have a LH catcher on the 40 man
After looking at his stats he was the better catcher of the two last season. By WRC and defense framing and throwing. I’ve liked Bart and followed him since he was drafted, as a giants fan he’s starting to look more like Beede and less like posey in terms of outcome.
My hope is the delay in signing conforto was just a tactic to get most catcher needy teams heavy lifting done in hopes to pass wynns through waiver unclaimed. He is the best catcher on this team currently not counting upside.
Wynns is not the best catcher in the Giants. Bart’s gonna be a stud. The shift ban should help him. He hits the ball 114mph sometimes
@#FF, I disagree. I am surprised by this move as the numbers don’t lie. Wynns was, overall, more productive for us than Bart. I like Bart and still think he can develop and get better, but his overall product leaves plenty to be desired.
What numbers support Wynns being better than Bart?
@giantsphan12 When looking at the overall numbers, sure. Bart wasn’t particularly better than Wynns. But Bart had an abysmal start to the season and finished much stronger. Based on that, his younger age, and first round pedigree, Bart has far more upside than Wynns going forward.
Bart could certainly be a bust long-term, but I’m optimistic he can be at least a decent semi-regular backstop. Wynn’s 66 decent games of high-BABIP baseball isn’t enough to outshine Bart’s potential moving forward
#giantsphan12 I understand what you’re saying, but I disagree about Wynns being more productive than Bart. Bart was just a rookie last year and should improve considerably, especially considering he did during the year. I think Bart’s gonna become an all star catcher, for years to come. I hope I’m right about that
“not counting upside” sure is doing a lot of work there
I feel like the Giants should be letting the young guys play & develop, they aren’t really ready to “win now”
Wynns has the option to walk if he clears waivers. There is no guarantee the Giants will be able to keep him. It was a risky move. Not sure why they didn’t dfa Yunior Marte instead.
Joey Bart….Dude is a 26 year old former first round pick that can’t hit in the big leagues.
Like Beede , Bart is Another in a long line of SF first round Draft BUSTS
27champ, that could be but its a bit early to make the decision already. You could be right but he’s got 2023 to put something together.
27chumpy you no doubt would have said the same thing about Trout, after his rookie year. Probably would have labeled Nolan Ryan a bust too.
Don’t forget Rule 5 Draft Pick Sabol (C/OF) who must remain on 40 man roster during 2023 or be returned to Pirates.
That’s who I was referring to, Blake Sabol
Wynns loses.
Nice kid though, he’s Wynnsing at life.
Whoever thought he was a Wynnsor
Designating the only other Catcher on the roster doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Not sure if the Giants think they can sneak him through waivers and add him back to the 40 man roster later on
#Rsox – Wynns wasn’t the only other catcher in the roster though
Actually he was. Joey Bart is now the only Catcher on the Giants 40 man roster
Rsox no he isn’t. The Giants got a LH batting catcher in a trade with the Reds, at the rule 5 draft. He’s a multi position player and listed on the roster as an infielder, but he’s a catcher
You’re talking about Sabol. But at best, according to reports, he’s really a third-string emergency catcher. His bat looks quite good, but unless the Giants can quickly refine his defense behind the plate, I wouldn’t consider him Bart’s backup.
Well right now Sabol is our only catcher on the roster, other than Bart.
Farhan either has to have a trade up his sleeve or he is going to go out and get one of Sanchez, Alfaro, Plawecki etc.. At least Sanchez could be a RH DH as well as a back-up catcher. I know defensively he’s limited.
I would think the Giants would want someone who is more of a defensive specialist backing up Bart. Bart is more an offensive catcher (time will tell if that translates consistently at the big league level). If Chirinos is not going to retire, they may try to sign him. Otherwise, about the only guys who typically fit that profile are Leon and Perez.
I think if they wanted a defense only guy they would have just resigned Casali (who can hit a little too). I don’t think Leon is an option but Chirinos or Perez could work.
I still think Grandal is a possibility in a trade for Cobb, Wynn, Bailey and another top 30 organizational guy. He had the worst year of his career last year and is expensive but he is a switch hitter and is still fairly elite and I think the Giants would happily absorb his salary.
Wilmer the Thrillmer, I ran that trade through the trade simulator, and that appears to be a very trade for the Giants. Wynns has zero trade value, but Cobb and Bailey combine for an MTV of 5.40. Grandal has a -8,8 MTV.
Of course, a big part of that is all the service time that Bailey has, and Cobb has an option for 2024. Grandal is a FA next season. No way SF makes that trade.
*”…very ‘bad’ trade…”
Bart is an offensive catcher? Whatcha mean? Thus far he’s proven he can’t hit big league pitching. Having been touted as Frisco’s big first round prospect, Bart is clearly a Bust
Gotta stick with Bart. He has otherworldly exit velo and power potential and has dramatically improved as a handler of pitchers and defensevly. His arm strength is easily top 10%. Even if he contines to strike out in 30% of his at bats he can be very good and I actually watch Giants games
Bart hits the ball 114 mph. He’s going to be a stud, when he’s not a rookie anymore. I’d bet on it. Grandal? No thanks. Profar perhaps
What ? Bart isn’t a rookie…At all. This is a 26 year old former first round pick. Dude is a bust
Will Smith is one year older and hits clean in LA w/ a line up that includes Freddie and Mookie
Rutschman is only 24 and entering his 2nd year. He’s a great example of the impact of a first round catcher pick . Joey Bart? C’mon your joking right ??? This guy at best is an MLB back up guy or a starting catcher that struggles at the plate and strikes out too much
@27champyankees
You don’t have to like Bart, and I know you’re just a troll, but at least try arguing in good faith.
Smith is a very good player. Bart does not need to be as good as him to be a useful MLB player.
And I get that you were comparing catcher to catcher, but while you’re on the Dodgers, might I suggest you look at their 2022 roster? Then find Max Muncy and Justin Turner, and tell me when they broke out as quality MLB players. Or if you’re a Yankees as your name suggests, maybe look at your starting 3b last year? It’s almost as though playing MLB is very hard and some players take longer to adjust than others.
And literally nobody here is comparing Bart to Rutschman. What an awful comparison to say “Bart is not as good as last year’s #1 prospect in baseball”. Come on, be better.
Anyways, Bart rated out highly in bat strength in his scouting reports, and hit well enough in the minors to back it up. he hit .155/.293/.291 with 4 HR in his first ~100 ABs and finished off with .253/.298/.411 with 7 HR in his final ~150 ABs after that. As #ff suggested, he has shown he can hit the ball hard. While those numbers alone do not suggest Bart has broken out yet, it does suggest he has made some key improvements to improve his game. If he can continue to improve those skills, he could absolutely be an all-star caliber player.
That is to say you still might think Bart is going to be a bust, and given his track record so far, you may be right! But to act as though a 370 AB stretch to start a player’s career is proof positive that he is a bust is just nonsense (and I think you know that, whether you admit it or not).
27chumpy Last year was Bart’s rookie year. And btw, it’s *you’re. You’re welcome for correcting your mistakes
27chumpy, Another in a long line of simplistic comparisons. One catcher got a hot start to his career, so Bart is a bust, since he didn’t. As a Yankee fan you have no room to talk. They have a 30 year old catcher with worse career numbers than Bart.
The Giants do have another catcher on the 40 man roster – Blake Sabol. They acquired him in a trade with (I believe) the Reds after they drafted him in the Rule 5 Draft. Hardly a sure thing.
I assume the Giants will sign a couple of guys to minor league deals and see how things shake out in spring training.
Joey Bart and a Rule V draft pick as the catching duo spells a long year for Giants pitchers
Rsox – Bart is gonna be good. Remember Trout and Nolan Ryan rookie seasons? You would have been calling both of them busts too
Bart may hit just fine but defensively he still has a long way to go. Thats why a defensive minded backup is necessary. Kevin Plawecki would be a fine backup/Mentor for Bart
Bart was the best defensive catcher the Giants had last year and is still improving
I hope you’re right, but you’re basing your enthusiasm on a wing and a prayer. So far, Joey Bart is a bust.
Your standards for comparisons fit your view perfectly. Widen your vision.
You know virtually nothing about my view/(s). Nothing other than what I put on here.
Of those, only Alfaro has any upside. He was once a real prospect, but his defense is pretty bad. But given the Giants need, he probably is the best of what’s still out there.
Thanks for the Plaster Master Giants!
The Cubs should snatch up Wynnes
The Cubs should snatch him up. Seems a better choice than Dom Nunez.
Sabol is on the roster and he can catch, they were hyping up his receiving skills when they added him. He bats from the left side but rule five players rarely stick, so not sure what’s plan B.
To rely on Sabol to catch regularly is a stretch. If he’s needed to catch more than one game a week the pitchers and organization will tire of him quickly. Pittsburgh gave him an outfielders glove for a reason. He’s a decent hitter has but only 101 AB’s above AA. If Bart is starting the year in the minors, the Giants probably need two more catchers. If Sabol is forced to play regularly I predict he will be offered back to Pittsburgh by mid May.
Bart’s not starting the year in the minors
Interesting move. I guess Blake Sabal is under a bit of pressure to perform now
He was already under pressure to stay on the MLB roster as a rule 5. He’ll have to pass through waivers and be offered back to PIT if he fails.
That pressure is more on the team, than the player
The Astros should try to get him on a minor league contract. with a ST invite He’s just what they need as insurance against a Maldonado IL stint.
He certainly seems like the type of player the Astros like behind the plate. We know Maldonado will more than likely get the majority of the playing time, but I would like to see this guy added to the competition (Lee, Diaz) for the second guy.
The Astros tend to prioritize defense over offense behind the dish so Wynns makes sense. Also it’s little surprising they haven’t signed Sandy Leon as he screams “perfect fit” for the Astros
Catching is always valuable. He’ll have a new home by breakfast tomorrow probably.
Time for Ricardo Genoves or Patrick Bailey to step up.
I’m down with letting some kids play this year to see who pans out.
Giants are always letting guys season too long in the minors. Give them a shot sooner and you may be surprised.
isn’t bailey still in ‘a’ ball? most of the chatter i’ve heard from the farm system revolves around harrison pairing with webb and becoming the 1-2 punch atop this year’s rotation.
also, i’m all for letting bart to succeed or fail on his own accord but didn’t a couple of pitchers like rodon last season not want to have bart catch their starts? they preferred wynns to call their games. hope that doesn’t carry over to ’23 with the rest of the staff.
Bailey had a solid sophomore year at A+ and will most likely be starting in AA this year
@chazzycat Bailey also won a minors gold glove this year. I know that’s not a barometer for translating to the majors but it’s certainly good
Pretty sure Bailey in AA ball this year and Genoves is in AAA. Both are 23 year olds and are looking good. There is more depth in this position than we think. Bart probably gets it figured out this year and we’re all set .
I wouldn’t put it past Zaidi to make more catching moves either, maybe a trade. He loves catchers!
I don’t see how you can say Genoves is “looking good.”
He’s good enough for a back up but I also said he needs to step it up. 2022 he had a little over 300 ABs in AAA with 11 Hrs. He’s got a little pop.
I agree about Giants sometimes letting prospects percolate in the minors too long and giving them a chance sooner, but I don’t think Bailey is ready yet. Genoves maybe, but it probably won’t happen before Sept
Interesting, Blake Sabol has been primary a Catcher in the minors with the occasional start in LF. I think the Giants could be interested in using Sabol at catcher when Bart needs a Day-off or is DH. In 2022 (minors), Sabol was hitting .290 avg against RHP…..Against LHP 0.259 which isn’t a bad clip.
I think Luis Gonzalez might be used for in case of Injury occurring in the minors. So far:
Catchers: Bart & Sabol
1B: Wade Jr., Flores, JD Davis,
2B: Estrada, Flores (Flores might be strictly 1B/DH option this year), & Villar
3B: Villar, Flores, & JD Davis.
SS: Crawford & Estrada
OF: Joc, Conforto, Wade Jr. Yastrzemski, Slater, Haniger, Davis, & Luis Gonzalez.
They have a ton of OF options and not much Middle INF. They could use another player that can play all over the INF.
Funny fact.
Gonzalez is listed as Right Fielder and Pitcher on Baseball Reference site due to throwing a few innings in a couple of blow out games last year. I thought I heard he could catch as well.
Wynns had a SOLID year as backup catcher. Some of the starters preferred him over Bart. Hopefully they can resign him to a minor league contract to keep a veteran available in the minors.
Oh Man, Farhan is so Bad. Correa contract didn’t work out. What about the Conforto Deal, he’s gonna mess that up too. No announcement on Conforto’s Physical.
Oh Wait – Ha !
It looks like they took this picture after he found out the news
They don’t actually play a game for about 85 days, plenty can happen between now and then. People overreact to every little move, act like this is the set roster.
Yeah, I’m sure the offseason is going to suddenly transform into absolutely amazing for us Giants fans, in the next 2+ months… Sure…