San Francisco Giants Players Who Can Emerge As Patrick Bailey’s Backup Catcher

The San Francisco Giants have several players who could factor into the mix behind Patrick Bailey at catcher.

May 1, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Tom Murphy (19) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

With just a month until Spring Training, a lot of the San Francisco Giants lineup looks to be set in stone.

While they could look to upgrade at a few spots, such as first base and in the corner outfield, if a splash move wasn’t made at this point, one is unlikely to come. Some depth pieces could be signed, but the team that we see now is likely what will be on the field come Opening Day.

However, there will be a few battles to keep an eye on as the bullpen pecking order isn’t set. Another position to watch is catcher.

Patrick Bailey is locked in as the starter, but the job behind him could very well be up for grabs.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that veteran Tom Murphy will earn the job because of the contract that he has. Owed $4 million, it would not be shocking if he earned the job.

But, that was a contract the previous regime gave him. Will Buster Posey see things differently on how the catcher position should be handled?

A seven-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, he knows a thing or two about how the position should be played and his evaluations could certainly be different from how the people he replaced viewed things.

Even if the Giants want to keep Murphy, there needs to be contingency plans in place because of how injury-prone he is. His career-high for games played is 97 and he appeared in only 13 during the 2024 campaign.

Because of that, Posey and the team need to have other players ready to take over at a moment’s notice.

Who else could they consider for the backup spot?

If they want to rely on another veteran, Max Stassi would fit the bill.

He is a 10-year veteran, but has battled injuries of his own and hasn’t appeared in a game since 2022 at the MLB level. If he can stay healthy, he has the skill set that teams love from a backup with a good mix of power and defense.

Another intriguing option is Sam Huff, a former top prospect of the Texas Rangers. He had struggled at Triple-A and there are questions about his defense, but he has produced at the plate in limited opportunities in the MLB.

In 198 at-bats, he has a slash line of .258/.313/.455 with 10 home runs and nine doubles. A good performance in Spring Training or Triple-A could have him vaulting the pecking order.

A wild card, in the opinion of Grant Brisbee of The Athletic, is Logan Porter.

His production in the Minor Leagues has been solid and if he does make it to the Major Leagues for a consistent role, it will be because of his bat.

That is something that could appeal to San Francisco as they ned all the offense they can get.