SF Giants acquire former Brewers catcher in minor trade with Mariners
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The SF Giants are acquiring catcher Jacob Nottingham from the Seattle Mariners in a trade, according to a report by Robert Murray and Jeff Young of FanSided. While the report does not specify the return, it seems unlikely that the deal would include much more than cash or a player to be named later. Nottingham has appeared in four big-league seasons but has spent all of 2022 and 2023 at Triple-A. A former backup catcher with the Milwaukee Brewers, Nottingham will likely help the Giants address their lack of catching depth at Triple-A following the departures of Gary Sánchez and Austin Wynns alongside the promotion of Patrick Bailey (Giants #21 prospect).
Mariners 1B/C Jacob Nottingham runs the bases after hitting a home run. (2021)
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Trades are nothing new to Nottingham, who will now be joining his sixth professional organization. Nottingham was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros out of Redlands High School in Southern California. Just over two years later, Nottingham would be packaged with another prospect and sent to the Oakland Athletics for veteran southpaw Scott Kazmir. Less than a year after that, Nottingham was packaged by the A's and sent to the Brewers for power-hitting outfielder Khris Davis.
Nottingham flashed above-average power throughout his minor-league career. While his sturdy frame gave him problems defensively behind the plate, Nottingham made major strides with his glove in the minors. In his age-23 seasons (2018), Nottingham had a breakout campaign at Triple-A, hitting .281/.347/.528 with 10 home runs in 50 games. He received his first career MLB call up and appeared in nine games with the Brewers.
From 2018-2021, Nottingham had stints in the majors each season, occasionally showing off his power, blasting eight homers in 130 plate appearances, but struggling to add any other value offensively. He struck out 50 times and managed a meager .184/.277/.421 triple-slash.
The Mariners claimed Nottingham off waivers in 2021, but they released him at the end of the season. He inked a minor-league contract with the Baltimore Orioles and spent all of 2022 with their Triple-A affiliate before returning to the Mariners on another minor-league pact this offseason. He has continued to walk at an above-average rate alongside solid home run power, but a strikeout rate approaching 30% and an approach that leads to a lot of easy fly ball outs has held his batting average just above the Mendoza line.
After this minor trade, Jacob Nottingham will likely join the SF Giants Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, where he will split catching duties with young backstop Ricardo Genovés and compete to be next in line if the team needs to call upon another catcher this season.
