The Giants introduced this night that they’ve designated catcher/outfielder Blake Sabol for task. The transfer clears a roster spot for the signing of Justin Verlander, which has now been made official.
Sabol, who simply celebrated his twenty seventh birthday earlier this week, was a seventh-round choose by the Pirates again in 2019 who was plucked from the group by San Francisco in the course of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. That locked Sabol into an Opening Day roster spot with the Giants for 2023, and he carried out admirably for a participant with simply 25 video games of Triple-A expertise underneath his belt. Whereas splitting time between catcher and left subject in 2023, Sabol it a good .235/.301/.394 (91 wRC+) in 344 journeys to the plate.
As soon as the Giants had been in a position to choice him to the minors in 2024, nevertheless, Sabol was shortly shuttled again to Triple-A and solely made a quick cameo within the majors final yr. He hit properly in these 11 video games, nevertheless, with a .313/.421/.375 slash line in 38 journeys to the plate whereas serving to cowl for a Patrick Bailey throughout a visit to the concussion-related injured checklist. When within the minors, Sabol struggled offensively with only a .246/.340/.388 slash line at Triple-A that was good for a wRC+ of simply 85.
That lackluster efficiency at Triple-A seemingly made Sabol expendable as catching depth choice within the eyes of president of baseball operations Buster Posey and the Giants’ entrance workplace. The membership just lately claimed catcher Sam Huff off waivers from the Rangers, which can have made Sabol’s presence on the 40-man roster even much less mandatory. Huff is out of minor league choices and may’t be despatched to the minors with out clearing waivers however can nonetheless present the membership with depth behind Bailey and Tom Murphy all through Spring Coaching and even be carried on the roster as a 3rd catcher.
Going ahead, the Giants may have one week to both work out a commerce involving Sabol or expose him to waivers. As an optionable catching depth choice, it will hardly be a shock to see a catching-needy membership take the chance to pluck Sabol off waivers in hopes of serving to him rediscover one thing nearer to the offensive type he confirmed in 2023, which might make him a roughly common offensive catcher within the majors. If Sabol had been to move by waivers unclaimed, the Giants would have the choice of preserving him within the fold as a non-roster depth choice for the 2025 season.
