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Joey Bart

Giants Option Joey Bart To Triple-A, Acquire Austin Wynns From Phillies

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12:30pm: Wynns is indeed being selected to the 40-man roster, MLBTR has learned.

11:40am: The Giants announced Wednesday that they’ve optioned catcher Joey Bart to Triple-A Sacramento. They’ve also acquired catcher Austin Wynns from the Phillies organization in exchange for lefty Michael Plassmeyer and cash, according to announcements from both teams.

Wynns wasn’t on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, and the Giants have yet to indicate that he’ll be selected to their own 40-man. Curt Casali is now the only catcher on San Francisco’s big league roster, so they’ll either need to make a move to formally select Wynns’ contract or else call up another catcher from their minor league system. Michael Papierski is the only other catcher on the Giants’ 40-man roster.

The decision to option Bart comes on the heels of some prolonged offensive struggles for the former No. 2 overall draft pick. The now-25-year-old Bart had a fast start to the season, going 6-for-18 with a pair of homers and four walks through his first six games, but he’s fallen into a dreadful slump. Over his past 30 games (24 of them starts), Bart is hitting just .111/.256/.194 with a staggering 45.3% strikeout rate.

Given the magnitude of those struggles, it’s not a huge surprise to see Bart sent down. The Giants will hope that a return trip to Sacramento can prove to be the catalyst for a turnaround. Bart has long ranked not only as one of the Giants’ best prospects but as one of the very best prospects in all of baseball, and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has been quick to voice confidence in Bart’s long-term outlook. Zaidi tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) that the Giants “still think Joey is an everyday catcher” but felt it prudent to give him “a little bit of a reset” following such a difficult stretch at the plate.

Bart entered the season with 112 days of Major League service time, meaning he needed another 60 days on the active roster or big league injured list to reach one full year of service and remain on his same arbitration (post-2024) and free agency (post-2027). He’s already accrued 62 days, so even if he were to stick in the minors for the remainder of the season, he’s still logged enough time to cross into that one-plus service bracket.

As for the 31-year-old Wynns, he’ll give the Giants an experienced backup option. Wynns, the Orioles’ 10th-round pick back in 2013, spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the O’s, batting a combined .216/.255/.326 in 331 plate appearances. He’s thrown out 32% of attempted base thieves in his big league career, and while his pitch-framing marks are below average, he’s been solid in terms of blocking balls in the dirt, per Baseball Prospectus.

Wynns inked a minor league contract with the Phillies over the winter and opened the season with their Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley. Despite his lackluster big league numbers and a pedestrian Triple-A track record, he’s been one of the best hitters in the Triple-A International League so far, hitting at a ridiculous .365/.504/.500 clip. Wynns has hit three homers, five doubles and drawn a walk in just under 21% of his 134 plate appearances thus far. It’s not a huge sample of playing time, but it’s hard not to be impressed by any player reaching base at greater than a 50% clip in a span of 33 games.

Wynns obviously can’t be expected to sustain that pace, but there’s little else he can do to earn himself a big league promotion. That probably wasn’t going to happen in Philadelphia, where J.T. Realmuto is entrenched as the main catcher, but Wynns has a more clear path to playing time with the Giants, even if Casali is likely to function as the starter moving forward.

In exchange for Wynns, the Phillies will pick up the 25-year-old Plassmeyer — a 2018 fourth-rounder (Mariners) who went to the Rays as part of the Mike Zunino trade and has since gone to the Giants in return for righty Matt Wisler. Plassmeyer opened the 2022 season with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate and has been hit hard, logging a 7.38 ERA in through 46 1/3 innings. He’s been extremely homer-prone this year in that hitter-friendly setting (2.91 HR/9) and has quite uncharacteristically walked 11.3% of his opponents.

Prior to the 2022 season, Plassmeyer looked the part of an upper-minors strike thrower who could be on the cusp of a look in the big leagues. Kevin Goldstein and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs listed him near the back of their Top 39 prospects in the Giants’ system this winter, noting that the 6’2″ southpaw has an average changeup and breaking ball to go along with outstanding command. The lack of a true plus offering and a pedestrian 89-91 mph fastball give Plassmeyer a back-of-the-rotation outlook, but if the Phils can get his once-plus command back on track, he could be a depth option in the near future.

Giants Likely To Discuss Extension With Buster Posey

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Heading into the 2021 season, Buster Posey was somewhat of a question mark for the Giants. The former NL Rookie of the Year and MVP had long since cemented his place in franchise lore, but Posey battled hip, hamstring and concussion issues from 2017-19 before opting out of the 2020 season. Posey had hip surgery in Aug. 2018, and his 2019 return wasn’t exactly peak form: .257/.320/.368 with seven home runs in 445 plate appearances.

Even the most bullish Posey fans would’ve been hard-pressed to predict the type of rebound that has since unfolded. Posey has not only returned to form but is arguably in the midst of the finest season of what could end up being a Hall of Fame career. And while his future with the club might not have been certain even four months ago — not with a new front office, a checkered recent injury history and one of the game’s top catching prospects looming in the minors — that no longer appears to be the case.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Giants fully intend to keep Posey beyond the 2021 season — be it via the $22MM club option they hold over him or, perhaps likelier, on a multi-year extension like the two-year deal just brokered with shortstop Brandon Crawford.

Not long ago, it looked likely that the $22MM option would be declined in favor of a $3MM buyout. Posey, however, has done enough this season to make even that weighty sum look like a bargain. The 34-year-old is currently hitting .325/.418/.540 with 15 home runs, 14 doubles, an excellent 13.5 percent walk rate and a 19.5 percent strikeout rate. He’s been 59 percent better than a league-average hitter, by measure of wRC+, and that comes during a season in which the average catcher has produced been 11 percent worse than league-average at the plate.

The Giants were able to get an in-season extension done with the aforementioned Crawford, but Posey suggested this week that he’s content to take a more patient approach. “For me, I think I’ll get to the end of the season and kind of assess at that point,” he told reporters, including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). “Talk to my wife and see where we are.”

Posey will play the 2022 season at 35, so the Giants surely would like to keep any new multi-year investments relatively short. Both the pricing of his club option and some recent contracts for Posey’s peers give some points of comparison. Posey will play next season at age 35 — the same age at which Yadier Molina’s three-year, $60MM contract with the Cardinals began in 2018. (He’s since re-signed on a one-year, $9MM deal after his production waned late in that three-year deal.) Meanwhile, J.T. Realmuto set a nominal average-annual-value record for catchers when he inked a five-year, $115.5MM contract with the Phillies this past offseason.

Any contractual talks with Posey will come with ramifications for top catching prospect Joey Bart, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The 24-year-old previously looked to be the Giants’ heir-apparent behind the plate, but Posey’s resurgence has thrown a wrench into those plans. Bart is enjoying a very strong season in Triple-A Sacramento, hitting .314/.379/.536 in 214 plate appearances. He made his big league debut, somewhat out of necessity, back in 2020 and scuffled with a .233/.288/.320 output in 111 plate appearances.

Bart already saw his name pop up on the rumor mill this summer, and a Posey extension would only further push teams to inquire about the possibility of prying him away from the Giants. That said, retaining Posey certainly doesn’t mean that Bart would become superfluous. Depth is always critical, particularly behind the plate, and while the Giants already have a very fine backup catcher in Curt Casali, he’s a free agent after the 2022 season.

It’s also quite possible that there will be a designated hitter implemented in the National League as soon as next year. Additionally, Posey has seen plenty of time at first base over the years, which could create additional opportunities for Bart. Incumbent first baseman Brandon Belt is a free agent at season’s end.

Depending on what happens with Belt and the universal DH, there could even be enough room for the Giants to carry three catchers on the roster in 2021 while still getting a reasonable number of at-bats for the whole trio. Those decisions will fall under the “good problem to have” umbrella whenever they more firmly present themselves. For the time being, the focus will be on finding terms that are agreeable both to Posey and to the team following the seven-time All-Star’s remarkable rebound.

Cubs, Giants Have Reportedly Discussed Kris Bryant Trade

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July 28: Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic tweets that the Giants are “backing off” any proposals from the Cubs which center around Bart.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser recently reported that among Giants top prospects, Bart may be the “most” available, but that doesn’t means the club is flat-out shopping him or willing to include him for a high-priced rental player such as Bryant (or the majority of Chicago’s other trade candidates).

July 27: The Giants and Cubs have had discussions about a possible Kris Bryant trade, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). Chicago is evaluating San Francisco catcher Joey Bart as a possible part of those conversations, according to Morosi, although he unsurprisingly adds the Giants aren’t likely to give up Bart for Bryant alone.

Bryant has plenty of experience at third base and all throughout the outfield, making him a viable fit on the rosters of plenty of contenders. San Francisco’s expected to get Evan Longoria back from the injured list next month, so the front office is likely eyeing Bryant as a potential outfield pickup. Giants left fielders (primarily Alex Dickerson) have a below-average .214/.288/.395 slash line this season.

Bryant could also offer some cover in center field. Steven Duggar has had a great season, but he’d never before hit at anything near his current .284/.358/.484 clip. Moreover, Duggar’s current .405 batting average on balls in play is unsustainably high, masking an alarming 31.6% strikeout rate.

Finances might be a concern for many clubs interested in Bryant (like the Rays, reported to have had preliminary discussions about a potential deal this morning). The 29-year-old is making $19.5MM this season, his final before hitting free agency. About $7.13MM is still owed for the remainder of the year.

That tab shouldn’t pose much of a problem for the Giants, who have ample financial flexibility. Ownership has previously approved payrolls above $200MM, but their current figure is in the $150-152MM range in the estimation of Cot’s Baseball Contracts and Roster Resource. San Francisco’s nowhere near the luxury tax line, so there should be room for president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and general manager Scott Harris (a former Cubs’ assistant GM) to spend to upgrade a roster that currently leads the Dodgers by two games in the NL West.

Of course, Bart would be an ambitious ask for less than half a season’s worth of work from Bryant alone (although he is reportedly the most likely Giants top prospect to move in the next few days). The former #2 overall pick hasn’t yet found major league success, but he’s a highly-touted young talent. Baseball America slotted the right-handed hitting backstop as the game’s #22 overall prospect in their updated top 100 list this week. While Buster Posey has catcher locked down at the big league level in San Francisco this year, Bart has had a strong campaign at Triple-A Sacramento. The 24-year-old is hitting .310/.372/.532 in 188 plate appearances, his first crack at the minors’ highest level.

There’s no indication the Giants and Cubs are in specific discussions on players other than Bryant, although it’s possible the sides could work out some sort of package deal. Speculatively speaking, relivers Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera could hold appeal to a Giants bullpen that has pitched well but is generally short on past high-leverage experience. Kimbrel would be the more impactful — but far more expensive — pickup. He’s playing out the season on a $16MM salary (about $5.85MM of which remains), with a $16MM club/vesting option for 2022. Tepera, meanwhile, is making an $800K salary and will reach free agency at the end of the year.

Joey Bart “Most Likely” Giants Top Prospect “To Be Available” In Trades

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The Giants are known to be busy exploring upgrades on the pitching and lineup fronts as the trade deadline approaches, with such names as Starling Marte and Danny Duffy known to be of interest to the NL West leaders.  As to what San Francisco is willing to give up in a potential trade, one of the game’s top prospects might be somewhat available, as Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle writes that “among the team’s most high-profile minor-leaguers, catcher Joey Bart is the most likely player to be available.”

It’s worth noting that this falls well short of the Giants actually dangling Bart in trade talks, nor does it indicate that the club has any particular inclination to move Bart.  But, in a trade market where it has become increasingly rare to see blue chip prospects moved in any sort of deal (particularly at the deadline), it is certainly noteworthy that such a highly-touted minor leaguer could be available at all for the right price.

Marco Luciano, Heliot Ramos, and Bart are only the Giants prospects on all of the current top 100 prospect rankings for MLB Pipeline, Fangraphs, and Baseball America, while outfielder Luis Matos appears on the Fangraphs and BA lists.  At 24, Bart is the oldest of this group, and the only one to have reached the big leagues, posting a .612 OPS over 117 plate appearances in the last two seasons.  Thanks to the canceled 2020 minor league campaign, Bart was promoted to the Show without any Triple-A experience and barely even any Double-A experience, but has been mashing Triple-A pitching this year.

In short, Bart likely hasn’t done anything to have lowered his stock in the eyes of the Giants front office.  However, San Francisco’s catching situation has been altered by two factors — Buster Posey’s re-emergence as a star, and the club’s selection of Patrick Bailey with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft.  It now seems at least plausible that the Giants could exercise their $22MM club option on Posey for the 2022 season, or the Giants could perhaps work out a multi-year extension with the longtime face of the franchise.  That could make Posey into a bridge to Bailey as the catcher of the future, leaving Bart somewhat expendable.

Needless to say, the Giants wouldn’t move Bart in just any trade.  It is very safe to say that Bart wouldn’t be moved for a rental player, or perhaps even a player only controlled through 2022.  But, he stands out as a major trade chip to aid the team in acquiring players who are under longer-term control, or conceivably as part of a multi-player trade that would see the Giants hypothetically land multiple players controlled through 2022.

With a top prospect potentially on offer, it gives Zaidi yet another asset at the trade deadline, beyond the advantage the Giants already have in future payroll commitments.  With less than $31MM in payroll committed for the 2022 season, the Giants can certainly absorb a big contract or two.  If the Giants can take such a deal off another team’s books, Slusser notes that they might not have to move any top-tier prospects at all, as the other team might accept lesser minor leaguers as the return for the financial relief.

Giants Recall Joey Bart, Option Logan Webb

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The Giants have recalled top prospect Joey Bart and optioned starter Logan Webb to Triple-A, per MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado (via Twitter).

With Buster Posey landing on the 10-day injured list, it certainly stands to reason that Bart could have the opportunity for some playing time. Actually, however, this move appears to be at least as much about getting Webb some work in Triple-A during the All-Star break as it is about replacing Posey on the roster. Both means are likely to be short-term placements, suggests Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).

As much as fans might want to get a look at Bart, the second overall pick of the 2018 draft, this isn’t likely to be the promotion that earns him regular playing time, though he is slated to start tonight’s ballgame. Only two games remain before the All-Star break, however, and Curt Casali offers a more than suitable short-term stand-in for Posey. They also have Chadwick Tromp on the roster.

Bart, 24, has one plate appearance this season to go with 111 trips during the 2020 campaign. He has hit .231/.286/.317 for his career up till now. He’s done more than enough to prove his worth with the Sacramento River Cats this year, however, slashing .338/.400/.581 in 150 plate appearances in Triple-A.

As for Webb, the 24-year-old right-hander has spent much of the year in the rotation, making 11 starts to a 3.63 ERA/3.15 FIP over 52 innings. Webb has been somewhat on the outside of the rotation picture for much of the season, but as much as the Giants have wanted to try him out in a multi-inning relief role, injuries have kept Webb in the rotation as long he he’s been healthy. It will be more than a week until the Giants need a fifth starter again, however, so Webb will be able to get some work in over the All-Star break while with Sacramento.

In other Giants news, outfielder Mike Tauchman will begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A today, notes Guardado. Tauchman has been out since June 30th with a sprained knee.

Giants’ Latest Roster Moves

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The Giants made a number of roster moves on Tuesday, provided here by Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). On the pitching front, San Francisco purchased Dominic Leone’s contract from Triple-A and optioned righty Nick Tropeano. The recently-acquired Sam Delaplane was also moved to the 60-day injured list.

The well-traveled Leone has a 4.09 career ERA over 253 career innings for the Mariners, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Indians, for whom he pitched in 2020. Tropeano, 30, pitched well in four appearances, giving up just one earned run in six innings. He threw two scoreless against the Angels on Monday, so his demotion could simply be about getting a fresh arm in the bullpen.

The Giants also made a change behind the plate, placing Curt Casali on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain. He’s not expected to be out for more than the 10-game minimum, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Those hoping to see top prospect Joey Bart will be disappointed, however. It’s reasonable to assume that the short-term nature of the injury does not warrant disrupting Bart’s development.

Instead, Chadwick Tromp has been recalled to serve as Buster Posey’s backup behind the plate for the next 10 days. The 26-year-old backstop debuted last season, posting a 65 wRC+ in 64 plate appearances.

Lastly, Crowley adds that Evan Longoria’s injury appears to be a mild intercostal strain, and he’ll avoid a stint on the injured list. Longoria is enjoying a resurgent season at the plate this year with a 139 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR through 178 plate appearances.

Giants Make Several Roster Moves

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The Giants made a number of roster moves ahead of tonight’s game. The biggest bit of news is the return of Mike Yastrzemski, who has been out since April 26th. While he’s not in the lineup tonight, he is available off the bench and should return to the lineup in the next couple of days. The 30-year-old outfielder put up a .215/.303/.468 line before straining his oblique.

With Yaz coming off the injured list, Alex Dickerson is heading the other way. Dickerson lands on the injured list with a bone bruise on his shoulder. Coming off a 150 wRC+ over a 52-game stretch in 2020, Dickerson has stumbled to a .213/.280/.347 line to start the season (79 wRC+). His strikeout rate is up from 17.6 percent to 22.0 percent, and his walk rate is down from 9.4 percent to 6.1 percent. He’ll get an opportunity to reset after recovering from this shoulder impingement.

Jarlin Garcia has also been added to the active roster taking Joey Bart’s spot after he was optioned to Triple-A, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). Garcia had been out with left knee tendinitis. He surrendered six earned runs over 6 1/3 innings in five appearances early this season. All in all, it was a mixed bag for the 28-year-old southpaw, who managed a strong 32.1 percent strikeout rate despite serving up a pair of home runs and struggling with his command to the tune of a way-too-high 17.9 percent walk rate.

Finally, Johnny Cueto will return to the rotation on Sunday, and with Kevin Gausman set to return after his second vaccine shot, Logan Webb is likely headed to the bullpen. The Giants have been planning to use him as multi-inning reliever out of the pen, but injuries to Cueto and Alex Wood have kept him in the rotation to start the year. The Giants will need to make a roster move to bring Cueto back, with Sam Selman and Zack Littell being possible candidates for demotion, writes Slusser.

Trade/FA Notes: Santander, Profar, Bart, Yates, T. Williams

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Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander has drawn trade interest this winter, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. However, as Kubatko suggests, that doesn’t necessarily mean Santander will go anywhere. The 26-year-old is coming off a highly productive season in which he batted .261/.315/.575 (130 wRC+) with 11 home runs, and he’s not scheduled to become a free agent until after 2024. Santander will earn a projected $1.7MM to $3MM in arbitration next season. All of that makes Santander an appealing trade candidate, but the Orioles could simply retain him as a building block.

  • The Padres are still attempting to re-sign free-agent infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. The switch-hitting Profar, 27, spent last season with San Diego, where he batted .278/.343/.428 (111 wRC+) with seven home runs in 202 trips to the plate. Defensively, Profar divided most of his time between left field and second base. Tommy Pham and Jake Cronenworth are among the options for the Padres at those spots, but the team seems to believe it will be able to keep fitting Profar in if it re-signs him. MLBTR predicted at the start of the offseason that Profar would land a one-year, $7MM contract in free agency.
  • Clubs “routinely ask about” Giants catcher Joey Bart in trade talks, Rosenthal writes. The Giants are not actively attempting to move the 24-year-old, though, according to Rosenthal. Bart, the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, got off to a rough start in the majors last year with a .233/.288/.320 line, no home runs and 41 strikeouts against three walks in 111 plate appearances. However, Bart was dominant at the Double-A level the previous season. He or Patrick Bailey, the Giants’ first-round pick last summer, could end up as their answer at catcher when the iconic Buster Posey departs (potentially after next season).
  • The Twins were among the finalists for reliever Kirby Yates before he agreed to join the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays. It’s not surprising the Twins were in on one of the open market’s highest-profile relievers, as their bullpen has taken hits this offseason with Trevor May, Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard getting to free agency. May signed with the Mets, though Romo and Clippard remain without contracts.
  • Former Mets general manager Jared Porter was part of negotiations for right-hander Trevor Williams before the team fired the executive Tuesday, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. It’s unclear if the Porter-less Mets will continue pursuing Williams, whom the Pirates designated for assignment in November, especially after acquiring fellow starter Joey Lucchesi from the Padres on Monday. Williams was a solid part of the Pirates’ rotation from 2017-18, but he struggled to a 5.60 ERA/5.01 SIERA in 201 innings and 37 appearances (all starts) between 2019-20.

Giants Notes: Bart, Offseason Goals

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Giants fans got their first look at catcher-of-the-future Joey Bart in 2020, but it sounds as though Bart’s likely destination to open the 2021 season will be back in the minor leagues. As Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes, Giants president of baseball ops Farhan Zaidi suggested in his end-of-year chat with reporters that Bart could still use some more development time. Buster Posey will be back after opting out of the 2020 season, and Zaidi pointed out that Aramis Garcia will be back from hip surgery as well.

Zaidi also implied that the club could add a veteran backup to its catching corps over the winter: “Getting some help (would) enable Joey to get a little bit more of that development.”

Fan expectations for Bart this season were sky-high and, as is most often the case, probably unfair. The 23-year-old former No. 2 overall pick had scarcely played above Class-A Advanced, with just 22 games of Double-A work under his belt when he was called to the big leagues this year. Posey’s opt-out and a lack of appealing options elsewhere in the organization forced the move, and while Bart impressed early, his production soon wilted. His final 45 plate appearances were particularly tough, as Bart collected just seven hits and punched out 18 times down the stretch. Overall, his .233/.288/.320 slash and 37 percent strikeout rate certainly suggest that he’d benefit from some time in Double-A and/or Triple-A.

The organization remains “super high” on Bart, Zaidi stressed, pointing to Bart’s strong exit velocities and hard-hit rate. There’s little doubt that Bart is still the team’s long-term plan at catcher, but it’s also readily apparent that the lack of a minor league season in 2020 hampered Bart’s progression a bit, as it did for so many others throughout the league.

Beyond poking around the market for a backup catcher, the Giants will have some other work to do. Zaidi has expressed interest in re-signing free agents Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly, and Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News adds that Zaidi felt his club was “one left-handed bat short” in 2020. A lefty bat who can play multiple positions and give Evan Longoria some breathers a third base seems ideal, Crowley writes. That could be a role the Giants hoped Pablo Sandoval would fill in 2020, although it obviously didn’t play out that way.

Speculatively speaking, Tommy La Stella would seem an ideal fit in that role. Other options on this year’s market include Asdrubal Cabrera, Jake Lamb, Marwin Gonzalez, Brad Miller and rebound hopeful Brock Holt (among others). The trade market would create myriad other possibilities.

It stands to reason based on the interest in retaining Gausman and Smyly that the Giants will explore other rotation upgrades should that pair eventually sign elsewhere. There’s little certainty in the rotation without that pair. Johnny Cueto will be back for the final season of his contract but struggled for much of the 2020 season. Young righty Logan Webb made 11 starts but finished with a 5.47 ERA. The Giants control Tyler Anderson for another season, and he was solid if unspectacular in 2020.

Beyond Gausman, Smyly, Cueto, Anderson and Webb, the only other pitchers to start multiple games for San Francisco in 2020 were Trevor Cahill (six) and Jeff Samardzija (four). Both are out the door this winter, as is veteran lefty reliever Tony Watson. Starting pitching and relief pitching should be a focus if the Giants plan to contend next year.

And at the end of the day, for all the talk of how the Giants have been rebuilding, Zaidi expressed for a second consecutive winter that his goal remains to put a playoff team on the field next year. San Francisco was in the hunt for a Wild Card spot until the final day of the season in 2020, per Crowley.

The Giants should have financial leeway to augment the roster, with about $96MM committed to next year’s payroll and what should be a light arbitration class. Looking ahead to 2022, Longoria’s $19.5MM salary is the lone guaranteed contract on the ledger. The widespread expectation is that teams will be rather reserved on the free agent market this winter after substantial revenue losses in 2020. But if the Giants want to spend, they have a rather wide-open payroll outlook that should allow them to do so.

Giants Promote Joey Bart

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The Giants have promoted top catching prospect Joey Bart to the Majors, per a club announcement. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Bart will make his debut one day after 2018 No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize debuted with the Tigers.

Joey Bart | Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Bart, 23, spent most of the 2019 season in Class-A Advanced, hitting .265/.315/.479 (116 wRC+) before a 22-game stint in Double-A where he finished on a tear: .316/.368/.544 (163 wRC+). Bart went on to the Arizona Fall League and hit .333/.524/.767 with four homers in 42 plate appearances before a broken thumb cut his AFL stint short. His 6.2 percent walk rate doesn’t immediately jump out, but Bart’s 21 percent strikeout rate isn’t particularly alarming either.

Defensively, there’s little doubt about Bart’s abilities behind the dish. Scouting reports at MLB.com and FanGraphs place a 60 and potential 70 grade on his glovework, and Bart was voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year in his final season with Georgia Tech. Scouting reports laud his framing and pitch-blocking abilities, and Bart carried a career 31 percent caught-stealing rate in the minors before thwarting nine of the 13 stolen-base attempts against him in last year’s Arizona Fall League.

All in all, Bart is career .284/.343/.532 hitter in the minors, and he has the defensive tools to make him one of baseball’s premier all-around backstops. He’s yet to see a pitch in Triple-A and has only 87 Double-A plate appearances under his belt, so it’s far from a given that he’ll immediately thrive against big league pitching. However, with the Giants hitting just .250/.314/.415 as a team (17th in the Majors in wRC+) — with much of that coming from Mike Yastrzemski — Bart doesn’t need to be an offensive juggernaut to provide a boost.

San Francisco catchers, in particular, have floundered at the dish. The trio of Tyler Heineman, Chadwick Tromp and Rob Brantly (who saw only three plate appearances) have combined for a .180/.227/.270 slash in the absence of stalwart Buster Posey. The veteran Posey opted out of the 2020 season, citing health concerns, after he and his wife adopted twin daughters who were born prematurely.

Bart ranked as baseball’s No. 7 overall prospect heading into the 2020 season, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. He’s currently No. 8 on FanGraphs’ top 100, No. 15 at MLB.com and No. 33 at Baseball America. The Athletic’s Keith Law pegged him 44th prior to the season. Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, is the only catching prospect that is generally ranked on the same level as Bart, who is the heir-apparent to the aforementioned Posey and expected to be a fixture on the Giants’ roster for years to come.

By waiting until this point in the year to promote Bart, the Giants have ensured that he can’t become a free agent until after the 2026 season (at least), and they’ve likely avoided Super Two status as well. There are only 39 days remaining in the 2020 season, and each of those days counts for about 2.77 days of Major League service in this year’s prorated system. That leaves Bart with roughly 108 days of MLB service time to possibly accrue in 2020, which should comfortably leave him shy of Super Two designation when he approaches his arbitration years.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported just before the Giants’ announcement that Bart was on his way to the big leagues.

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