The Giants announced this afternoon that backstop Austin Wynns has elected minor league free agency (relayed by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). He went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment earlier in the week. As a player who has been outrighted multiple times in his career, Wynns had the right to refuse a minor league assignment.
Wynns only appeared in one game for San Francisco this year. The 32-year-old had gotten into 66 games for the Giants last season. He held his own with a respectable .259/.313/.358 line in a depth capacity. Wynns didn’t hit for much power or walk very often but he did a decent job putting the ball in play. He’d preceded his time in San Francisco with an otherworldly .365/.504/.500 line in 33 games for the Phillies’ top affiliate.
The Fresno State product has a more modest overall track record in ten professional seasons. He’s a .230/.274/.335 hitter in 510 major league plate appearances. Wynns owns a .279/.374/.401 line through 163 career games at the Triple-A level.
San Francisco lost veteran catcher Roberto Pérez to a season-ending rotator cuff injury earlier this week. With Wynns no longer in the organization, they’re down to Joey Bart and Rule 5 selection Blake Sabol as catchers on the 40-man roster. They’ll have a little more than two weeks to make a call on Gary Sánchez, who can opt out of his minor league deal on May 1 if he’s not promoted.
Bummer, hope he gets a good opportunity somewhere good defensive backstop with the ability to hit although not for much power. Best of luck to you Austin, at very least try to get some real $$ out of the giants for a minor league deal.
Wynns’ losses are adding up.
This is exciting.
A little surprised they let him go considering how thin they are behind Bart.
At least the Os are stacking Wynns
Ran into Austin at a Chicago pizza place a few days ago. He was eating a pie with pepperoni. I approached him and said I was his biggest fan. He smiled , took a sip of his sprite and handed me a Johnny Bench signed baseball card . How about them bananas
Appealing!
I hope this move works out for both the Giants and Wynns.. The thought process seems a bit flawed on both sides given the susceptibility to injury that the catcher position is regularly exposed to each and every time they play the game..
For any MLB team to expect to get through an entire season with only 2 catchers on their 40 man roster is foolhardy..
As for Wynns’ decision to become a free agent, that sounds like a case of sour grapes towards the organization. (And rightfully so), Perhaps he expected some degree of loyalty from the Giants given his contribution for them in 2022. So instead, the club goes and gets a catcher through the rule 5 (Sabol), signs free agent Perez, then signs free agent Sanchez. Wynns went from being #2 catcher with the Giants to being #5 catcher. I’d be upset if I were him.
In becoming a free agent he is letting the Giants know how he feels.
He will not be out of work long and will be on a MLB roster sometime this season.
With Giants catching situation – Wynns will surely be back.
He could learn to pitch A’s sure need help there
Sad part is he was probably their best catcher.
Far from it. Bart is by far our best catcher
With all the injuries and such going on around the league for catchers, he should be able to find a new home in no time. I am curious with the Giants situation if they let Sánchez go and stick with what they currently have. It’s a bit dicey play on their part.
Bart’s a beast
No surprise
I like Wynns – I think the Giants like him too. But he’s a 32 year old journeyman, who’s mostly been a MiLB level guy.
There’s a supply of such players to pull from. He’s hardly an irreplaceable baseball commodity. I wish him the best – and who knows, maybe he’ll even be a Giant again at some point.