Giants Draft Another Catcher, But Why?
By Jason Burke
Buster Posey,
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
The 2014 MLB Draft is winding down, but the San Francisco Giants made one pick that left some scratching their heads. In the second round of the MLB Draft, with the #52 overall pick, the Giants selected a catcher. Aramis Garcia is his name. With Buster Posey being one of the game’s elite catchers, and Andrew Susac ready to be the catcher of the future, why draft another player behind the dish?
Here is why it makes sense. The first reason being that Aramis Garcia is a solid offensive catcher. In his Junior year at Florida International, Garcia batted .368 with 8 HR, 37 RBI, 14 doubles and 34 runs scored. Regardless of what the Giants already have in their system, this pick is solid.
Where do you put Aramis Garcia, presuming Posey or Susac is already behind the plate? Honestly, that is a question for a later date, but I will elaborate more below. Not all picks that are made are guaranteed a spot in the big leagues. Sometimes it just doesn’t pan out. Even when a player does pan out, it takes time for them to reach the majors. The potential to have an impact in San Francisco is there, but the timeline is uncertain.
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What if Garcia does prove himself worthy of the show? It is widely speculated, even presumed, that Buster Posey will not be a catcher for much longer. Maybe another season? Two? In that time, Hector Sanchez will most likely have moved on, and Andrew Susac will be the guy splitting time with Posey.
When Buster Posey does leave the squat, he will most likely play first, or possibly third. Yes, Brandon Belt is the first baseman when he’s healthy. It is possible that Belt could play in Left Field following this season. LF is currently manned by Michael Morse, but he is only on a one year deal. With the production he has given, it would be silly for the Giants to not try and resign him for next year and beyond. Morse’s current deal is for $6M. If he continues on his current tear, he will be making much more money than that in a future deal.
Say Morse is resigned for $12M-15M/season. The Giants have money to spend, but would they have enough to sign Pablo Sandoval to his $100M contract as well? Let’s say no. He has been fantastic as of late, but he was just a hole in the lineup in April. The Giants could get a more consistent player to man 3rd. As I have said before, that man should be Buster Posey. He’s already signed, has the arm strength and it saves his knees. Healthy knees generate more power. Increased power could move Posey’s numbers from middle of the road for third basemen, to the top 1/3, justifying the money he is owed. By this I mean he is paid highly as an elite catcher, but moving positions to a more power-heavy spot make the contract more lopsided with his current production, compared to other corner infielders in the league.
The other possibility with Aramis Garcia is a trade. If he starts performing well, either himself or Andrew Susac could be considered surplus, and would then be expendable. If the Giants keep with their trend of being an elite team every other year, in 2016 Garcia will have had some time to develop in the minors, and quite possibly be turning heads. He presumably won’t be ready for the majors in that time, but he could be used to add a missing piece that could capture the Giants another Championship in the future. The possibilities are endless.