The Giants claimed catcher Sam Huff off waivers from the Rangers and designated reliever Austin Warren for assignment in a corresponding move. Both teams have announced their end of the transaction.
Huff, 27 next week, once ranked not just as the Rangers’ top catching prospect but one of the top 100 prospects in the sport. He’s appeared in parts of four big league seasons now but has played sparingly in recent seasons. He’s appeared in 78 big league games and slashed .258/.313/.455 with 10 homers in 214 plate appearances. It’s quality production overall, but Huff has also benefited from a .353 average on balls in play while fanning in just over one-third of his big league plate appearances.
Huff barely saw the majors last season, in large part due to prolonged struggles in Triple-A. Despite prior success at the top minor league level, he slashed .246/.310/.416 in Round Rock last year. That looks solid enough relative to major league averages, particularly for catchers, but it was 21% worse than league-average (by measure of wRC+) in the hyper-charged offensive environment in the Pacific Coast League. He also struck out in 31.4% of his plate appearances at Triple-A.
There are defensive question marks with Huff as well. Listed at 6’4″ and 240 pounds, he’s one of the largest catchers in the game. He’s drawn poor marks for his framing, blocking and throwing behind the plate, which perhaps isn’t a huge surprise given the rarity with which players of his size can stick behind the dish. The Rangers have also given him time at first base and designated hitter in an effort to get his bat into the lineup more often in Triple-A, but last year’s downturn in production and a lack of minor league options squeezed Huff off the roster in Texas.
The Giants have a fair bit of catching depth already, with starter Patrick Bailey and backups Tom Murphy and Blake Sabol all on the 40-man roster. Huff can’t head to Triple-A due to his lack of minor league options, but he could potentially give San Francisco a third catcher in the majors and a platoon partner for lefty-hitting first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. If not, it’s possible the Giants will eventually designate Huff themselves and attempt to pass him through waivers in an effort to retain him as non-roster depth.
Warren, 28, missed the bulk of the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery but returned to toss 10 2/3 innings of 1.69 ERA ball down the stretch for the Giants. He agreed to a deal avoiding arbitration earlier this offseason, though per FanGraphs’ Jon Becker, he’ll be guaranteed only the $350K minor league split on that deal in the wake of this DFA.
That split could also make it easier for Warren to clear waivers, at which point the Giants could retain him as non-roster depth. In 48 2/3 innings across parts of four MLB seasons, Warren has a 3.14 ERA with an 18.8% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. The Giants can explore trade possibilities for the next five days but will have to place Warren on waivers if no deal comes together by that point.
Giants will DFA Huff when Verlander is announced and try to squeeze Huff through waivers.
Doubtful as Huff is a useful backup catcher.
Also, Warren is a cheap arm who should garner trade interest.
I think more likely Villar gets DFA’d. If they were trying to clear a roster spot for JV they would have just DFA’d Warren. To claim a guy just to turn around and cut him was more of a Zaidi move.
it makes more sense that a catching trade happens with sabol or murphy. the catching market is really thin this offseason – not saying villar isn’t a dfa candidate but the roster has 4 catchers on it now
Might be some interest in Sabol. Doubt there’s any takers for Murphy. Villar is blocked by Chapman and Schmidt and is out of options where as Sabol has 2 left and can play some OF so more likely they keep him.
I heard he left the Rangers in a huff.
That’s funny. The football New York Giants had a great linebacker in Sam Huff.
I was thinking the same.
Shocked no one offered anything for Huff.
They Huffed and puffed, but found nothing in the house that went down.
A move (probably) necessary since Tom Murphy’s career appears to be over due to his injured knees.
A good pickup as Huff can hit a little (and isn’t Austin Hedges, thank goodness.)
Has Murphy had setbacks ?
Last I heard was late in the season and he was still feeling pain in the knee. There’s been no news since then that I know of. Have you heard anything?
Thanks. I haven’t heard a thing. I was just assuming right to go.
Posey claiming a catcher is interesting. He’s one of the best to ever do it so I have to think the sees something he likes.
Best of luck Austin Warren. I interviewed him as a prospect. Really wouldn’t mind him back on the Angels at all.
Guessing Posey checked with Bochy about Huff.
Huff is better than he grades out as defensively. That’s by the eye test. Not saying he’s even average but he isn’t terrible.
He doesn’t catch very well, but nine times out of ten his big body will stop the ball from going all the way to the backstop.
Sabol is interesting and can play other positions. Murphy is probably done, but we’ll see in spring training
Huff at 1B anything else is uncivilized. DF”A if they can sneak him through.
Sabol and Murphy suck glad to see another option
Yes, but it’s another catcher who’s not good at catching.