SF Giants acquire C/OF Blake Sabol from Reds for cash and PTBNL
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While the SF Giants did not make any selections in the Rule 5 Draft, they did ultimately acquire one selection. Per the Giants, they acquired catcher/outfielder Blake Sabol from the Cincinnati Reds in a trade for cash considerations or a player to be named later. The Reds drafted Sabol away from the Pirates with the fourth pick in the Rule 5 Draft. Sabol was one of our top targets for the Giants in GBI's Rule 5 Draft Preview.
The Giants will not be able to option Sabol to the minor leagues in 2023 without offering him back to the Pirates, a proposition Pittsburgh would almost certainly accept. He could spend time in the minors on a rehab assignment if he is placed on the injured list, but otherwise must be on the big-league roster all season long. With the Giants aiming for contention in 2023, Sabol will likely have to win the backup catcher job over Austin Wynns to stay in the organization. Presumably, Sabol will net the Reds a better player to be named later if he makes the Giants Opening Day roster.
Sabol was drafted by the Pirates in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of USC. Despite losing the 2020 minor-league campaign to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sabol reached Triple-A last season, and performed well. He hit .284/.363/.497 between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a .969 OPS at the highest level of the minors.
A left-handed hitter, the Giants likely hope Sabol could become a viable platoon partner for current catcher Joey Bart, who has struggled against right-handed pitching. Sabol will have to immensely improve defensively to receive that much playing time. Sabol recorded 11 passed balls in 66 games at catcher in 2022 and only threw out 14% of opposing base stealers. Both numbers are well below MLB averages.
With that said, Sabol has always been a hybrid catcher/outfielder until the COVID-19 pandemic. It's conceivable that his relative inexperience at the position could give him an opportunity to take big leaps forward next spring with the Giants big-league coaching staff. If he can handle MLB catching duties, he's also a viable defensive outfielder, although his lack of arm strength probably limits him to left field.
Offensively, Sabol has always worked counts and recorded walks at a high rate (10.7% in 2022) without too many strikeouts. The biggest question facing Sabol is whether his swing will allow him to tap into enough of his power potential at the MLB level. He recorded 26 doubles and 19 home runs in pitch-friendly environments in 2022, but he only posted a .340 slugging percentage in 55 plate appearances at the Arizona Fall League.
If Blake Sabol can solidify himself defensively behind the plate, he may be in a prime position to be the SF Giants backup catcher in 2023. Given Bart's struggles with consistency, it's not out of the question that Sabol's bat could give manager Gabe Kapler some interesting decisions behind the plate.
