Curt Casali and Anthony DeSclafani. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
With a player both from the Reds organization and Vanderbilt, it’s a wonder he didn’t find himself on the Giants sooner.
San Francisco found its front-runner to back up Buster Posey on Opening Day in signing Curt Casali, who has a history with its pitching staff and several position players and has on-base skills that the Farhan Zaidi regime craves.
On Monday, the 32-year-old signed a one-year, major league deal for $1.5 million with another $500,000 in potential roster bonuses. To clear 40-man roster space, the Giants officially sold the contract of lefty Andrew Suarez to the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization.
The addition of Casali furthers a trend of the Giants plucking from current or former players of Cincinnati, reuniting the catcher with Anthony DeSclafani, Kevin Gausman and reliever Matt Wisler. Giants hitting coach Donnie Ecker came over from the Reds organization an offseason prior, as did catcher Chadwick Tromp.
The addition of Casali furthers a second trend of the Giants plucking from former Vanderbilt products. Casali is close with Mike Yastrzemski, his former Commodores teammate, the two having roomed together during the pandemic break from the game last year. Also coming out of that powerhouse program were Tyler Beede and Sam Selman. And Giants fans can try to claim he’s another home-grown product, too, though the Walnut Creek native was raised in Connecticut.
Casali fills a need as an established catcher who can spell Posey and handle a staff while bringing good plate discipline and some pop to the order. He was especially strong in the abbreviated season, posting just 17 hits in 93 plate appearances but six going for home runs. His .366 on-base percentage was a career high, and his bat only gotten better as he’s aged. The Giants highly value opinions from their coaching staff before signing anyone, and Casali would not have been brought in without Ecker’s blessing.
The only surprise with the pact is that Casali bats from the right side, now the fourth righty catcher on the Giants’ 40-man roster. Tromp also was given a major league deal, and if everyone stays healthy through camp, he would be earmarked for Triple-A, which would push Joey Bart all the way to Double-A (provided these destinations exist, of course).
The Giants immediately signaled after his struggles last season that Bart needed more minor league polishing, though their late-season, everyday catcher in 2020 beginning his season in Double-A the year after would be curious.
Suarez, meanwhile, will no longer be riding the minors-to-majors Merry-Go-Round he was trapped in last season, when he allowed four runs in 9 2/3 innings of relief. The lefty would have been an option but far from a sure-thing for a Giants staff that is deep with lefty bullpen arms but empty of lefty rotation options.