© Orlando Ramirez | 2019 Mar 10
He’ll have “the opportunity but not a guarantee of starting the season at Triple A.”
Farhan Zaidi’s above quote leaves the door open for anything. He doesn’t promise that Joey Bart will start the year in Sacramento. Instead, he offers just the possibility. But as I’ve learned with Zaidi, what he doesn’t say is often as important as what he does. Notice, for example, he does NOT say that Bart won’t start the year in the majors.
I think Triple-A Sacramento is the likely starting point for Bart. Assuming he hits well this spring, and he’s already 3-for-4 with a HR in two games, it allows him a well-earned promotion. It also allows Giants fans the opportunity to keep a close eye and ear on Bart. They could even take a short drive up I-80 if they want to get an in-person look at the future. But the same way Sacramento is not guaranteed, San Francisco is not not guaranteed.
There are a few things working in Bart’s favor if he tears up Arizona and starts to force the Giants’ hand.
- The Giants need a backup catcher
- The Giants want some hitters who draw fan interest
- The Giants could use some good press
Bart would achieve all of these things with one mighty swing of his bat. He’s already the most talked about Giants farmhand since the man he’ll someday replace, Buster Posey. He would single-handedly change the entire tone of ticket sales with his presence, and after the departure of Stephen Vogt in free agency and the season-ending injury to Aramis Garcia, the Giants are in throw it against the wall to see if it sticks mode at the backup catcher spot.
The team had no real option at backup catcher to start the year last year either. Erik Kratz had a crack at it until Vogt grabbed the job mid-season. The same scenario is likely to play out for Bart, but there are variables to be sure.
What if Bart is just too good this spring? The fans will be ready to hop the Bart train immediately, no matter how patient the team wants to be. Zaidi is not the type to cave to fan pressure (See Madison Bumgarner, Kevin Pillar, Will Smith, etc), but the kid could make it a tough call.
There are barriers. If he were to come up, the team will not want him to sit, which begs the question of where Posey goes. First base may not be an option, because no matter what fans think of Brandon Belt through the years, the current regime is talking like they love him. So unless something changes, there may not be enough at bats for Bart. But things change quickly around here now. Connor Joe was an opening day starter last year, only to watch the Pillar acquisition and a slow start knock him out of the majors in a matter of days.
The bet is Bart is a River Cat in March and April, and a Giant before June 1. But the “Bay Area Rapid Transition” is underway, and that train could arrive at the station ahead of schedule.