SF Giants: Chadwick Tromp could earn the Opening Day catcher job
By Justin Fried
The SF Giants need an answer for the catcher position and perhaps Chadwick Tromp could be it.
The SF Giants are left searching for answers following Buster Posey‘s decision to opt-out of the 2020 season. After all that Posey has done for this organization, he deserves this year off to stay safe and be with his family.
But for the Giants, they don’t exactly have a replacement for Posey at the catcher position.
The veteran duo of Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly was expected to compete for the backup job behind Posey this season. But now, they very well might be competing for the starting role.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t exactly bode well for the Giants. Heineman and Brantly have played in a combined six games over the past two seasons with neither even serving a true backup role since Brantly’s stint in Miami that ended in 2013.
That was seven years ago.
Because of this, the cries for top prospect Joey Bart will only continue to grow louder given how well he played in spring training. But the Giants remain set in their ways and aren’t willing to rush him/start his service clock this soon.
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Bart will remain off the active roster until further notice meaning that the Giants will be searching for answers elsewhere. And with neither Heineman nor Brantly separating themselves from the pack, could another player make a name for himself?
The short answer is, yes. At least that’s what’s been happening since the team reconvened this month.
Chadwick Tromp is quickly making a strong case to be on the SF Giants’ Opening Day roster.
Minor-league veteran Chadwick Tromp has been making some waves this summer and could be pushing for a roster spot. The former Cincinnati Reds prospect was added to the player pool on July 4th with the team needing catching depth.
Tromp initially signed with the Giants on a minor-league deal back in January and participated in spring training as a non-roster invitee. In 10 at-bats, he had just one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts.
Not exactly a performance that would convince the team to give him a roster spot. But Tromp has made the absolute most of his second opportunity.
In the Giants’ Black-Orange scrimmage last week, Tromp homered twice — one off righty Jeff Samardzija and one off lefty Sam Selman. And just like that, he put his name square in the Opening Day roster picture.
Tromp has always been known as an excellent defender with a keen eye at the plate, but he was a bit of a late-bloomer in the minors. It took him five years to reach Triple-A (save for one game played in 2015), but he impressed when given the opportunity.
Tromp showed more power at the plate than he previously had including an incredibly impressive July in 2019 (similar to the Giants last season) batting .385 with six home runs, 14 RBI, and a 1.077 slugging percentage in just nine games.
And while his play slowed down after that, he made quite the impression in Louisville.
Giants fans will be hoping to see Tromp revisit that magic from a year ago as he looks to earn a spot on the roster.
dark. Next. SF Giants: Don’t expect Joey Bart to replace Buster Posey
Posey might be gone for this year, and Bart may be biding his time, but a new savior could emerge as the answer at the catcher position in Chadwick Tromp.