SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Roberto Pérez sported a giant grin as he packed up his black-and-orange bag stuffed with catcher’s gear Saturday afternoon. The 34-year-old backstop, in camp on a minor-league deal, was knowledgeable that morning that he had made the membership.
The collection of Pérez probably means fellow non-roster catcher Austin Wynns or third-year catcher Joey Bart would be the odd man out within the four-way competitors. The Giants have strongly indicated they plan to enter the season with three catchers, with Rule 5 decide Blake Sabol serving in a hybrid outfield function along with third-string catching duties.
“He confirmed us he was able to play frequently, obtained to know quite a lot of the pitchers on our employees over the past couple weeks, was aggressive within the drills we requested him to be aggressive in and present us he was able to dealing with pushing himself,” supervisor Gabe Kapler mentioned, “and he did these issues.”
Pérez would have been capable of turn into a free agent on Monday if he hadn’t been added to the Giants’ roster by then. By securing a spot on the 26-man, Pérez will earn a $2.5 million wage with an extra $1.5 million in potential incentives. His standing as a non-roster invitee implies that the Giants might want to add him to their 40-man roster, however that shouldn’t be a difficulty, as three spots are anticipated to open up when Luis González, Luke Jackson and Thomas Szapucki are positioned on the 60-day injured record.
The Monday deadline sped up a call course of that's nonetheless taking part in out with the opposite three catchers.
Kapler mentioned that whereas he knowledgeable Pérez Saturday morning that he had made the crew, he had but to have conversations with Wynns or Bart. All 4 are anticipated to accompany the crew to San Francisco for its two Bay Bridge exhibitions Sunday and Monday.
“I really feel like several of these catchers can step in and comfortably deal with a strong workload,” Kapler mentioned.
Bart, 26, may be optioned to the minor leagues, however Kapler and others have been complimentary of his spring, offensively and defensively, after difficult him originally of camp to earn the job. Wynns, who cut up time with Bart final season, would should be added to the 40-man roster.
Sabol, 25, was acquired from Pittsburgh within the Rule 5 draft and must be supplied again if not on the lively roster. Together with his scorching-hot spring, and openings created by accidents to Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater, he has seemingly assured himself a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Past then, notably when the 2 outfielders return, it will get murkier. Whereas the Giants considered him solely as a catcher getting into camp, roster wants have thrust him again within the outfield, the place he’s spent most of his skilled profession. There’s an excellent likelihood he’s the Giants’ Opening Day left fielder.
Since signing a minor-league take care of San Francisco about two weeks earlier than pitchers and catchers, Pérez has separated himself within the competitors together with his defensive acumen and intensive monitor file behind the plate. He earned rave critiques from the pitching employees, with Alex Cobb calling him a “magician” when it got here to his pitch framing.
Pérez earned Gold Gloves with Cleveland in 2019 and 2020 and likewise turned in his finest offensive season in 2019, hitting 24 dwelling runs with a .239/.321/.452 slash line in 449 plate appearances. Nevertheless in 9 major-league seasons, 2019 and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season have been additionally Pérez’s solely ones taking part in in at the least half his crew’s video games.
That was the brink set by Giants president Farhan Zaidi on Friday when discussing what San Francisco would wish from Pérez in the event that they opted to place him on the roster. He had season-ending surgical procedure on his hamstring in 2022 and missed vital time in 2021 with a fractured finger that additionally required surgical procedure and irritation in his throwing shoulder.
“He’s felt actually good and he’s able to catch extra, in order that a part of the analysis has been very constructive,” Zaidi mentioned. “That’s form of the ultimate hurdle in his place is feeling like he can deal with the workload that we want of him to be on the crew. … It most likely must be any person that we really feel may be good to catch at the least half the time. We wish to really feel good that he can deal with that kind of workload.”
Whereas Kapler was not but able to specify the precise share of the workload behind the plate will probably be anticipated of Pérez — or to say who will catch Logan Webb on Opening Day — the Giants clearly noticed sufficient this spring to position him on the roster, a call that did have monetary implications. Wynns, Bart and Sabol will all earn the major-league minimal.