The Giants probably expected Joey Bart to be making a push for the big league roster by the age of 24. They also probably didn’t expect Buster Posey to have a career year at age 34.
Posey’s resurgence and the fact that the Giants are almost certainly going to pick up his $22 million option for 2022 create a bit of a quandary for Bart, who is now looking at the possibility of multiple years before he is an everyday player for the Giants.
According to Mike Krukow, that’s not a problem, even if Bart isn’t happy about it.
“Well, I don’t care,” Krukow told Murph & Mac on Tuesday. “I really don’t care how he feels about it, because he still has things that he needs to accomplish before he considers himself an everyday player.
Bart’s numbers at the plate with Triple-A Sacramento looked pretty decent this year, slashing .294/.358/.472 while hitting 10 home runs in 67 games. His ability behind the dish is a different story, as Giants fans saw in 2020.
“You can’t have a guy who’s lacking in anyway in the defensive position as a catcher, to even be a backup catcher. We saw the importance of [Curt] Casali this last year, and his contribution. Check out the Giants record when he got behind the plate and Buster didn’t play. It was remarkable. He’s an accomplished catcher. He’s an accomplished maestro of controlling a pitching staff during a game. He was brilliant. Did he swing the bat? No. But his job was to maintain the ability to lead a game, control a game, manage a staff. Is Joey Bart ready for that? No. He’s not.
“Is he going to be? Yes he is, but he has to catch the innings that require him to get to that point. Do I think he’s a gifted talent? I damn sure do. I think his bat strength is exciting. I think he could hit 30 home runs. I think he could do it every year, I think he’s got that kind of strength. The first time I saw him swing the bat I thought this is a guy who could put the ball right handed into McCovey Cove…I think Bart has those kind of tools, but I don’t think he’s ready.
“You know what was so cool this year. I had a chance to watch Sacramento on TV, so I had a chance to watch him a half a dozen times. He’s still making some mistakes, he’s still not the finished product defensively, but he’s just gonna get better with more innings more reps. But what’s the hurry? If you don’t get this guy to the big leagues until he’s 27 years old, who cares? Because when he gets there he’s going to be ready, and that will be the key. Because he is going to be a big league catcher and I hope it’s for the Giants. “
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Listen to the full interview below.
