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Giants Sign Andrew Knapp To Major League Deal

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The Giants signed catcher Andrew Knapp to a major league contract. Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic first observed (on X) that the switch-hitting backstop was in tonight’s starting lineup. San Francisco designated Jakson Reetz for assignment to create a 40-man opening. Knapp, an Apex Baseball client, reaches the majors for the first time this season.

Knapp had been in Triple-A with the Rangers. He signed an offseason minor league deal, opted out at the start of July, then returned to Texas on a new non-roster pact around the All-Star Break. The Rangers granted him his release yesterday, presumably in tandem with his agreement with San Francisco. He didn’t get a look in Texas despite a strong .294/.383/.457 slash in 345 Triple-A plate appearances.

While the Rangers haven’t gotten much production out of the catching position, Jonah Heim was an All-Star last season. Texas moved on from struggling backup Andrew Knizner when they acquired Carson Kelly at the deadline. Barring injury, Knapp probably wasn’t going to get a look there. The Giants had more room for a short-term option after losing Patrick Bailey to the injured list this week. Bailey is battling what seems to be a low-severity oblique strain.

Knapp, 32, played in three games for the Giants two seasons ago. That marked his most recent MLB action. He has spent the past couple seasons bouncing around the Triple-A level. A Berkeley product and former second-round pick by the Phillies, Knapp is a career .209/.310/.313 hitter in 873 big league plate appearances. He’ll back up Curt Casali for the time being.

It’s possible his stay on the roster will be brief. Bailey could return right around when he’s first eligible on August 29. That’d give San Francisco three catchers and presumably force them to choose between retaining Casali or Knapp as the backup.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported earlier in the week that the Giants had some interest in former All-Star Elias Díaz, whom the Rockies released a week ago. Bailey’s presumed forthcoming return apparently took that off the table. Slusser wrote this afternoon that Díaz declined to pursue the opportunity when the Giants indicated they couldn’t commit to keeping him on the roster beyond Bailey’s return date.

That’s understandable on Díaz’s part. The Rockies are on the hook for his $6MM salary while he’s a free agent. He’d need to be in an organization by September 1 to be eligible for postseason play. If he signed with the Giants for a week and was released as the corresponding move for a Bailey reinstatement on August 29, he’d have very little time to find another landing spot that could allow him to play in October. A short-term stint is much more appealing for Knapp, who had been on a minor league salary with Texas and has ties to the Bay Area.

San Francisco designates Reetz for the second time this season. He has appeared in six MLB games for them this year and played in two games with the 2021 Nationals. The former third-round pick has hit .254/.368/.431 over 58 games with Triple-A Sacramento. He’ll go on waivers in the next few days and would be able to elect free agency if he goes unclaimed.

Giants Among Teams Interested In Elias Diaz

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The Rockies cut catcher Elias Diaz loose earlier this week after he went unclaimed on waivers, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants are among the teams with some interest now that Diaz is a free agent who could be signed for the prorated league minimum. (San Francisco also had some interest in Diaz prior to the trade deadline, per Slusser.) So long as Diaz signs on or before Aug. 31, he’d be eligible for his new club’s postseason roster.

The Giants just placed Patrick Bailey on the injured list yesterday with an oblique strain, severely compromising the team’s catching depth. San Francisco called up journeyman Jakson Reetz in a corresponding move to Bailey’s IL placement, and they’ll use Reetz as their No. 2 catcher behind backup-turned-starter Curt Casali, at least for now. Casali, 35, was a midseason signing himself and has only produced a .205/.318/.233 batting line in 86 plate appearances. The 28-year-old Reetz is just 2-for-16 in 17 MLB plate appearances and was batting .254/.368/.431 (102 wRC+) in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League setting prior to his recall to the big leagues.

Diaz would represent an upgrade over that tandem in virtually every capacity. While it’d be a stretch to call him even an average offensive contributor, given his lackluster power output and perennially middling on-base percentages, Diaz has solid contact skills and can typically hit for a fairly empty batting average at the very least. He batted .270/.315/.378 this year in Colorado (80 wRC+) and carries a .251/.304/.388 slash in 2010 plate appearances dating back to the 2019 season.

Defensively, Diaz has typically drawn good grades for his ability to block pitches in the dirt, and he’s regularly posted average or better numbers in terms of caught-stealing rate. He’s frequently been panned for poor pitch-framing skills, but he’s delivered a career-best performance in that regard this season and been credited with plus overall glovework as a result (5 Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average alike).

Even with those defensive improvements, Diaz can’t hold a candle to the injured Bailey’s glovework — although that’s true of virtually every defender in the sport. The 25-year-old Bailey has quickly emerged as the sport’s premier defensive catcher — and one of its premier defenders at any position — drawing the best framing marks of anyone in MLB and thwarting a hefty 30% of stolen-base attempts against him since his big league debut. Drilling down further, Bailey is the best in the sport in Statcast’s “caught stealing above average” metric, which contextualizes stolen base attempts based on who’s running, who’s on the mound and what type of jump the runner gets — rather than treating them all as equal. (Throwing out Elly De La Cruz when he has an outstanding jump, after all, is far more difficult than throwing out Hunter Renfroe on the back end of a double-steal attempt.)

After a strong start to the season with the bat, Bailey’s offense has tanked in the past six weeks or so, leaving him with a .233/.299/.344 slash on the season. That might make Diaz look like an upgrade offensively at the very least, but it should be pointed out that Diaz himself has floundered in the batter’s box of late as well. A calf strain cost Diaz three weeks in June, and in the time between his return and his eventual DFA, he hit only .208/.243/.264 in 111 plate appearances.

That said, Diaz has a track record of putting the ball in play and delivering offense that, while below that of a league-average bat, is generally solid relative to fellow catchers (who tend to be below-average hitters on the whole, in large part given the physical demands of the position). And given the in-house alternatives with Bailey on the shelf, it’s fairly logical that the Giants would have interest in placing a bet on that track record as they look to stay afloat in a tightly contested chase for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. The Braves currently hold that third Wild Card spot, but they’re only 2.5 games up on the Mets and 3.5 games ahead of the Giants.

Giants Place Patrick Bailey On IL With Oblique Strain

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The Giants lost Patrick Bailey to the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, because of a right oblique strain. San Francisco recalled Jakson Reetz from Triple-A Sacramento to take the open roster spot. Reetz will back up Curt Casali behind the plate for as long as Bailey is on the shelf.

That’ll be a significant blow defensively. Bailey is arguably the best defensive catcher in the majors. He has neutralized the running game with a 30.4% caught stealing rate. Statcast also grades him as a top-tier pitch framer. Bailey leads catchers in Defensive Runs Saved both this season and dating back to his MLB debut last year.

The former first-round pick has had a less consistent offensive track record. Despite showing flashes of promise at the plate, he’s a career .233/.292/.351 hitter. Bailey looked as if he’d turned a corner at the plate early in the year. He carried a .283/.354/.430 slash into the All-Star Break. He has fallen into a tailspin over the past few weeks, running a .115/.157/.135 line with a spike in ground-balls in the second half.

Recent slump aside, Bailey remains the Giants’ clear #1 option behind the dish. That job temporarily falls to Casali, who has only picked up 82 plate appearances in 24 games this season. He’s hitting .200/.309/.229 without a home run. Casali draws plenty of walks but doesn’t provide much else in the way of offense. The Giants trail the Braves by 3.5 games for the National League’s last playoff spot going into tonight’s game against the White Sox.

Giants’ Randy Rodriguez Shut Down With Flexor Strain

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Giants reliever Randy Rodríguez was diagnosed with a flexor strain over the weekend, tweets Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic. He’ll be shut down from throwing for two weeks before going for further evaluation.

It’s a concerning diagnosis considering how frequently flexor strains serve as a precursor to some kind of elbow surgery. There’s no indication that’s under consideration for Rodríguez at the moment, though the team should provide more information after follow-up testing a couple weeks from now. San Francisco already placed the rookie right-hander on the 15-day injured list last week.

Rodríguez, 25 next month, has had a quietly strong debut campaign. He has tossed 50 1/3 innings across 33 appearances, turning in a 3.93 ERA with encouraging peripherals. He has fanned nearly a quarter of batters faced with a solid 7.6% walk rate. Rodríguez has done a nice job staying off barrels and has gotten swinging strikes at a robust 13.7% clip. While he worked primarily in low-leverage spots early in the season, Rodríguez had clearly earned manager Bob Melvin’s trust of late. No San Francisco reliever has more frequently come into key spots (as measured by the game’s leverage index) than Rodríguez since the All-Star Break.

That’s on hold for at least the next few weeks. With five-plus weeks on the regular season schedule, there’s no guarantee Rodríguez makes it back this year. Even a best-case scenario where he’s cleared to resume throwing early in September wouldn’t leave much time for him to build back into game shape. The Giants recently optioned scuffling closer Camilo Doval back to Triple-A, leaving them with Ryan Walker, Taylor and Tyler Rogers and former starter Jordan Hicks as their top late-inning arms.

Latest On Randy Rodriguez

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  • Giants reliever Randy Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier this week due to right elbow inflammation, and manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle) today that tests didn’t reveal any structural damage.  Rodriguez will still be shut down for a couple of weeks before being re-evaluated, so his absence should extend well beyond the 15-day minimum.  The hard-throwing Rodriguez has made a solid accounting of himself in his rookie season, posting a 3.93 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, and 7.6% walk rate over 50 1/3 innings.

Giants Reinstate Ethan Small From Injured List

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The Giants reinstated left-hander Ethan Small from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. San Francisco moved Wilmer Flores from the 10-day to the 60-day IL to open the necessary spot on the 40-man roster. Flores suffered a knee injury and will not return this season.

Small has been on the injured list all season after suffering an oblique strain in Spring Training. It was a tough start to his San Francisco tenure, coming around six weeks after the Giants acquired him from the Brewers in a cash deal. Small began a minor league rehab stint in the Arizona complex league on July 16. He pitched three times there and once in Low-A before heading to Sacramento, where he has tossed five innings across six appearances. Small has surrendered six runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Pitchers can only spend 30 days on a rehab assignment, so the Giants needed to activate Small today. They’ll keep him in Triple-A in what would be his last option year if he spends at least 20 more days in the minors. A former first-round pick by Milwaukee, Small has spent the majority of the last two seasons in Triple-A. He worked as a starter in 2022 before kicking to the bullpen a year ago, pitching to a 3.18 ERA in 51 innings. His major league résumé consists of four games (two starts) between 2022-23.

MLBTR Podcast: The White Sox Fire Their Manager, Víctor Robles Extended, And The Marlins’ Front Office

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

We had some technical difficulties during this recording, so the audio is of a lower quality than usual. Apologies for that, but the source has been discovered and everything will be back to normal next week. This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Will Camilo Doval pitch again this season (or ever) for the Giants? (25:10)
  • What ever happened to Archie Bradley this season? (29:20)
  • Well, if your offense stops failing you, let the pitching failures take the spotlight! As a Braves fan, I am feeling quite trampled after all the high expectations that this season came with. Should I forget any postseason hopes? (31:00)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Giants Select Grant McCray

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The Giants announced they’ve selected outfielder Grant McCray onto the major league roster. San Francisco optioned Marco Luciano back to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. The Giants already had an opening on the 40-man roster.

They’ll use it to take their first look at McCray, whom they drafted out of a Florida high school in 2019. The former third-round pick is starting in center field tonight against Braves righty Grant Holmes. McCray can play all three outfield positions and has spent the vast majority of his minor league time up the middle.

That defensive acumen is McCray’s biggest appeal. Prospect evaluators credit him with plus or better speed and an excellent arm. He has the tools to be a plus defender in center field. Outfield defense has been an issue for the Giants for a few seasons. That’s particularly true in center, where Heliot Ramos has been the starter lately. Ramos has had a breakout year offensively but is clearly stretched playing up the middle. Most scouting reports have long pegged him as a corner outfield fit. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average have graded him harshly in his 493 innings of center field work this year.

Ramos moves to left field tonight, pushing Michael Conforto to designated hitter. If McCray is up as an everyday center fielder, that’ll probably have the biggest impact on Jerar Encarnacion’s playing time. The Giants have given him five starts apiece at DH and in the corner outfield since they selected his contract on August 2. He’s hitting .237/.293/.395 over 41 plate appearances. McCray playing center field would leave the corner outfield/designated hitter roles to some combination of Ramos, Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski on most days.

The long-term viability of that plan probably depends on how well McCray acclimates to big league pitching. Scouting reports at Baseball America and FanGraphs credit him with nascent raw power but have never been bullish on his pure hitting ability. McCray has turned in decent results between the top two levels of the minors this year, combining to hit .242/.330/.446 in 97 games. He has 12 homers, seven triples and 26 doubles through 421 plate appearances.

McCray is drawing walks at a strong 10.7% clip but has fanned in nearly 29% of his trips. Strikeouts have been a problem throughout his minor league tenure. It’ll be a challenge for him to make contact in his first look at big league pitching, but his combination of power and athleticism present some upside if he can put the ball in play somewhat regularly.

Strikeouts have also been a question for Luciano, who has long been one of the Giants’ top prospects. San Francisco initially planned to give him everyday run at designated hitter after the Jorge Soler deadline trade. They backed off on that fairly quickly, perhaps because of trepidation about his elevated strikeout tallies in the upper minors and his limited look (31 games over two seasons) against MLB pitching. Luciano scuffled defensively at shortstop and has yet to really find a position at the MLB level. He’s still just 22, so the Giants will get him consistent reps in Triple-A to continue his development on both sides of the ball.

The Giants have dropped three straight to fall back to .500, though they’re only 3.5 games behind Atlanta in the Wild Card race. They’re playing the Braves tonight and tomorrow in what could be pivotal games.

Giants Sign Spencer Howard To Minors Contract

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The Giants signed Spencer Howard to a new minor league deal earlier this week, and the righty tossed a scoreless inning for Triple-A Sacramento last night in his return to the organization.  Howard began the season with the Giants before being traded to the Guardians in early July, but he was designated for assignment and then outrighted by Cleveland before the end of the month, with Howard opting for free agency rather than the outright assignment.

The brief trip back to the open market has now led Howard back to Sacramento.  Howard has a 5.75 ERA over 40 2/3 innings for the Triple-A affiliate this season, as well as a 6.21 ERA in 29 combined innings (24 with the Giants, five with the Guardians) at the big league level.  Though a .398 BABIP has contributed to Howard’s struggles in the majors, his 18.8% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate are both below average, and he has allowed five homers in his 29 frames of work.

Home runs have been a consistent problem for Howard over his five MLB seasons, contributing to his rough 7.00 ERA in 144 career innings with the Guardians, Giants, Rangers, and Phillies.  A highly-touted prospect during his time in Philadelphia’s farm system, Howard just recently turned 28 and is still trying to find a firm foothold in the majors.

The Giants have used the right-hander in a variety of roles (starter, reliever, opener, bulk pitcher) this season without much success, and Howard will again be on hand at Triple-A to provide some pitching depth.  Howard is out of minor league options, if San Francisco did select his contract back to the active roster, the club would again have to pursue the DFA route in order to try and move Howard back to the minors.

Giants Acquire Ryan Watson From Orioles

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The Orioles announced that they have traded right-hander Ryan Watson to the Giants in exchange for cash considerations. Trades after the deadline are allowed if the players involved have not been on a 40-man roster this year, which applies in this case.

Watson, 26, wasn’t selected in the 2020 draft, which was shortened to five rounds as a result of the pandemic. He then signed with the Orioles as an undrafted free agent and worked as a swingman for a few years with fairly unremarkable results. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 259 2/3 innings across various levels with a 4.30 earned run average.

Here in 2024, he’s been working exclusively in relief with some signs of encouragement. He has tossed 22 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with a 2.38 ERA. He has struck out 26.1% of batters faced while giving out walks at an 8% clip.

Despite those decent numbers, the O’s never called him up. They bolstered their bullpen at the deadline by acquiring Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto from the Phillies, making it even less likely that Watson would be tapped. The Giants, on the other hand, traded Luke Jackson prior to the deadline and optioned their former closer Camilo Doval to the minors earlier tonight.

Watson hasn’t received much love from prospect evaluators but the Giants seem to be encouraged by his results this year. He will provide their bullpen with some non-roster depth and try to earn himself a roster spot.

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