With Buster Posey opting out of the 2020 season the Giants catching corps will need reinforcements. It seems Chadwick Tromp is making some noise. Tromp is from Aruba, is 25, and has been in pro ball (Reds system) since he was 18 but has no ML time. The right-hander is considered a long shot but that calculation has changed since Posey's announcement. He was a non-roster invitee. Two other NRIs, Rob Brantly and Tyler Heineman, are favored to see the most innings in the early going. Brantly is a lefty, 30 years old, and has seen time with the Marlins, White Sox, and Phillies. Heineman is a switch-hitter, 28 years old, and he made his debut with the Marlins last season. Both are originally from Southern California and played college ball there (Brantly UC Riverside, Heineman UCLA).
They don't seem to be in a hurry with top prospect Joey Bart. The message has consistently been that he needs more development. I suspect he'll play this season, but they'll wait until they have a spot they like. Necessity might force their hand but I don't think either Kap or FZ are concerned about that. If he gets the earlier-than-planned call that wouldn't be a bad thing, just not ideal from their outlook.
This is going to be a weird, weird season, if we get a season at all, but it would certainly be great to have baseball back. Even weird baseball beats no baseball!
--M.C.
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If you want to get a sense of what kind of manager Gabe Kapler is/will be, take a look at this article by Alex Pavlovic at NBC Sports. Kap comments on the three catchers I mentioned in the post.
I'll probably have to do a post on Kap before the season starts. He's an interesting cat, that's for sure. He's sort of the opposite of Bochy, who had a laid-back, slow-talking demeanor but was obviously very smart and extremely competitive. Kapler is intense and in-your-face. I like to say he is Hunter Pence without the humor and charm. Kap is all business and it is very detailed and focused. He uses a lot of that weird new hybrid of corporate double-speak and hippie woo-woo that seems to be a part of the modern coaching landscape. I don't think Kap is insincere by any means, he seems like a "true believer" in terms of his gospel of self-improvement.
I think he's the perfect guy for a team in transition. His expertise is player development and you get the sense that every guy in the organization has a personal growth plan. I think the modern trend is for a speedier path to the bigs and that means a more intensive education. I think Kap's schtik will work really well with youngsters and up-and-comers. Some of the grizzled vets might be rubbed the wrong way but it is pretty obvious that grizzled vets in today's game have to keep growing, learning, and adapting if they want to stay employed after their contracts are up! So I think they'll come around.
You can't "replace" Bruce Bochy! Even if he never had the post-season success it was obvious the man had exceptional personal qualities that forged strong relationships. He was truly beloved. That's an impossible act to follow. If fans want an ersatz/wannabe Bochy then they will never warm up to Kap. The Giants hired a new manager that fits with FZ's notions of how to build a young talent base. I think, like I said, Kap is the perfect guy for the Giants RIGHT NOW. I think he will be excellent at helping players be the best players they can be.
He apparently had some issues and made some mistakes with game management in his tenure with the Phillies but I like to think that's a good thing. You know every manager has fucked up. The key is to learn and grow and do better next time, and Kap strikes me as self-aware enough to know where's he weak and what he needs to improve on. I note the Phils hired Joe Girardi, who the Yanks dumped in favor or Aaron Boone who had ZERO managerial experience! Girardi is a good choice, he will fit better with that fan base. These are people who booed Mike Schmidt fer chrissakes so "failing" in Philly is no cause for alarm.
George Kontos retires and joins the broadcast team at NBC Bay Area.
Kontos was a solid bullpen arm for the Giants from 2012-2017. In eight seasons with four teams he pitched in 350 games, averaging almost exactly 1 IP per game (357 IP with 1407 BF). His best season was probably 2015 where he reached career highs in appearances with 73 and IP with 73-1/3. His postseason highlight was the 2012 NLDS against the Reds where he faced 12 batters across four games (3-2/3 IP) and allowed only two hits and no walks.
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