The Giants have apparently re-signed catcher Eric Haase to a minor league contract. The Warner Sports Management client is in the lineup tonight for Triple-A Sacramento. Haase had been released from his previous minor league deal at the end of Spring Training.
He was competing with Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac and prospect Jesús Rodríguez for the backup job behind Patrick Bailey. The 33-year-old Haase hit .286 with a couple home runs while striking out 14 times in 32 plate appearances this spring. San Francisco stuck with Susac in the backup role. They optioned Rodríguez while granting Haase his release.
After a few days on the open market, Haase returns to the club. He’ll work alongside Rodríguez and Logan Porter as part of the Triple-A catching group. Haase has easily the most MLB experience of any catcher in the organization aside from Bailey. He has just over four years of service time and has taken more than 1200 plate appearances in a little under 400 games.
Haase is a lifetime .228/.278/.396 hitter at the big league level. He has plus power from the right side that comes with a lot of swing and miss. Haase has always been a bat-first option who probably profiles best in the third catcher role he’ll play now that he’s back with San Francisco.
Is Eric Ron Haase’s son?
No. Different spelling.
Haase has also caught a couple of no hitters. One of those things that doesn’t show up in the stats or peripherals.
In other AAA news the Rockies signed Andrew Knizner to a minor league deal he played for the Isotopes today already.
Good depth for a .500 team.
Good thing…since he got 3 hits last night
He’ll be up this year. Nice depth piece.
SF could use a C that can hit near league average to PH for Bailey
Bailey’s nerf bat is worsened by ABS impact on his framing
Having Bailey and Schmitt playing every day hurts that offense, throw in the fact that there is always at least one player who will be slumping and you end up forfeiting 3 innings of offense at bats a game
Completely agree about Schmitt—he should be starting at 3b for another franchise, not a 1b for the Giants.
But Bailey is not at all hurt by ABS. In fact, his defense will be worth even more and when he challenges he’ll be right most of the time.
But if Susac can hit (and he looks like he can) and Jesus Rodriguez hones his catching skills to go with his bat, the Giants will be in great shape—especially as Rodriguez can also play 2b and OF. Giants could conceivably carry 3 catchers.
@Pete
I’ve never been a fan of <6’ 1B the target just too small
To date Schmitt is a bench player at best like Koss but Schmitt has a ton of swing and miss
Encarnación is not an every day player he’s a DH keeping Eldridge’s seat warm
Once Devers takes over at 1B it will give them a chance to get Encarnacion ABs
If Rodriguez can hit in AAA and be close to average at C, 2B and OF I agree he forces his was onto the roster
If Susac and Rodriguez can both hit near league average Bailey can then be a 375 AB player
Giants are going to draft Vahn Lackey this June