Ever since the Giants selected catcher Joey Bart with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, questions began about what the Giants would do with Buster Posey. Both players' strong performances in spring training this year didn't exactly quiet the questions.
Bart, 23, opened eyes for the second straight spring, batting .438 with a 1.401 OPS and two home runs in nine games. A healthy Posey didn't disappoint, though.
Posey, 33, hit .455 with a 1.206 OPS and went deep once. Players and coaches alike raved about how Posey looked this spring, and a big season could have been in order before the sports world was put on hold. If you ask president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, it's clear flexibility is king, even when it comes to these two catchers co-existing.
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“The fact that Buster’s played some first base and Joey’s a guy we want to move around a little bit -- when you think about building the ultimate 13-man position roster, I think it’s a disadvantage to have a starting catcher and somebody who’s just a backup,” Zaidi said Thursday on KNBR’s “Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks." “If you have two guys who are good offensive and defensive catchers who can play different positions, it almost gives you an extra half-roster spot with which you can try to match up and make sure your guys are fully rested.”
No matter how well Bart performed in the Cactus League, he was bound for the minor leagues. The Giants sent him to minor league camp on March 10, and he was expected to start the season in Triple-A Sacramento.
Zaidi also mentioned Bart might get some time at first base in the near future. Posey, actually, is a different story.
At this point, Posey's most valuable skill on the field is his glove and leadership behind the plate. He doesn't exactly bring enough power to be a regular first baseman, and the Giants haven't given him any indication he will spend time there this season.
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Bart, 10 years younger than Posey, hasn't played anywhere on the field other than catcher in the minors or even throughout his three years at Georgia Tech. Do the Giants plan on him wearing a first baseman's glove? What about taking ground balls at third base or even fly balls in left field?
Everything should be on the table, especially with Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler.
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“I think aspirationally, everybody wants to have two catchers that they want in there as much as possible,” Zaidi said. “I think the fact that both of those guys are going to be able to move around a little bit is going to give us flexibility to get them both in the lineup as much as we need to.”
For now, this is nothing more than a nice problem to have.