The Joey Bart era in San Francisco never really got started. And now it’s all but officially over.
The Giants went to the free-agent market to bolster their catching corps on Monday, agreeing to terms with Tom Murphy on a two-year contract with a club option that will guarantee him at least $8 million, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The Giants intend to employ the 32-year-old right-handed hitter as a backup to Patrick Bailey, who had an eye-opening rookie season while establishing himself as a defensive stalwart and the club’s primary catcher.
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The repercussions are clear for Bart, who was the second player taken in the 2018 draft — the Giants’ highest selected player since Will Clark 33 years earlier — and once viewed as the heir apparent to franchise star Buster Posey. Hand fractures and the COVID-19 pandemic complicated Bart’s development and he hasn’t established himself as a hitter at the big-league level; he has a .219 average and 35.4 percent strikeout rate in 162 games over four seasons.
Bart is out of minor-league options, so assuming that he is in camp with the Giants this spring, he must make the opening-day roster or be exposed to waivers.
It’s possible that Bart could be packaged in a trade this winter, but don’t assume that will be the case. Teams are always looking for catching depth and spring injuries impact every club in the act of roster building. It might be worth noting that the last veteran catcher the Giants signed, Roberto Pérez, didn’t make it past the first week of the season because of a shoulder injury.
And Murphy has had trouble staying healthy. He missed time in Seattle in recent years because of a fractured foot and a dislocated shoulder. A sprained thumb ended his 2023 season in August.
But the signing practically closes the window for Bart. It also appears to limit potential opportunities for Blake Sabol, last season’s Rule 5 draft pick who stayed on the roster all year as a backup catcher and outfielder. It’s hard to envision a path for Sabol in the outfield after Michael Conforto opted to return on an $18 million salary and Jung Hoo Lee signed a six-year, $113 million contract to be the everyday center fielder. The Giants already have eight outfielders on their 40-man roster, not including Sabol.
Sabol will not have Rule 5 strings attached to him next season, so he can be freely optioned to Triple-A Sacramento — assuming he isn’t packaged as part of a trade this winter.
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You’ll be forgiven if you don’t remember that this will be Murphy’s second stint as a Giant. He was with the organization for a five-day whirlwind just before the start of the 2019 season. The club had claimed him off waivers from the Colorado Rockies and then dealt him to the Seattle Mariners for a minor league pitcher who never made it past A-ball (Jesus Ozoria).
Murphy thrived with the bat when healthy in Seattle, hitting 38 home runs with a .784 OPS in 715 at-bats. He’s been a lefty killer over his career, posting an .842 OPS with 23 home runs in 413 at-bats. That makes him a good bench option against lefty relievers as well as a potential fit alongside Bailey, a switch hitter who fared better from the right side last season but was a more consistent left-handed hitter in the minor leagues.
The Giants have no plans for Bailey to abandon switch hitting, but perhaps a steady catching presence to start against lefties could allow Bailey to focus a little more on one side.
(Photo of Murphy with Seattle in 2021: Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)