Curt Casali has a full-time job he’s very content with at the moment. The gainfully employed catcher wants to make that clear.
Playing Major League Baseball is something the veteran had always dreamed of. And he’s in his ninth season doing it.
But as players are reminded during alumni association meetings, everyone is a former player much longer than they’re a big leaguer.
“I just don’t think it’s something that anyone should ignore,” Casali told KNBR. “You should obviously play each game like it’s your last while you’re still playing, but it’s never bad to be open to different options once you’re done playing.”
Casali is currently living Plan A. For the Giants, he’s provided a steady presence from behind the plate and supplied some surprising power from it as the club navigates life after Buster Posey. But Plan B? The one down the line? Casali has what he calls a “pipe dream”: working in a MLB front office.
The concept of team-building fascinates Casali. He’s drawn to the idea of assembling a group of personalities and believes the front office might have more authority on that dynamic than a field manager. Given Casali’s experience in the big leagues, his natural curiosity and baseball I.Q., it shouldn’t surprise anyone if that “pipe dream” eventually comes to fruition.
“It’s fun to think about maybe doing that some day,” Casali said.
Casali’s playing career has already allowed him to pass through a collection of well-respected baseball minds. In Tampa Bay, he spent time with James Click — now the Astros general manager — and Chaim Bloom, who now runs the Red Sox. Now he picks the brains of Giants general manager Scott Harris and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
Casali said he’s constantly asking Harris and Zaidi questions. The biggest topic on his mind is the psychology and sociology of a clubhouse — the interpersonal dynamics of putting 26 people in a room together.
What’s most interesting to Casali is this specific 2022 clubhouse. It’s unique in that there appears to be somewhat of a no jerks policy, a quality that has led to some of the most fun baseball of Casali’s career, he said.
“It just seems too obviously tactical that they did that to ignore it,” Casali said. “You look around, there’s no — for lack of a better term — assholes. It seems to be working to our benefit, for sure.”
Harris said Casali often asks questions about new trends the catcher picks up either by watching, playing or consuming baseball. The former players who transition most successfully are the ones who are most curious, Harris said. Casali seems to match the description.
“What sets Curt apart is his personality,” Harris said. “He’s a naturally inquisitive and engaging person who has the ability to process new information and concepts quickly. I think that would help him in a front office. I don’t know if he really does want to go in to a front office, but he has the tools to do it.”
As a catcher who’s played in both the American and National League, Casali has had a unique perspective. Catchers are the only players who set up in foul territory, with a view of all the action at all times.
In general, baseball front offices have trended toward more forward-thinking, highly educated executives to join the modern analytics race. None of the Giants’ last four general managers, including Harris, played professionally. But recent former catchers to enter a front office or dugout post-retirement include Al Avila, David Ross, A.J. Hinch, Bob Melvin and Kevin Cash — Casali’s manager in Tampa Bay.
“If he wants to go into a front office or a dugout after he’s done playing, I think those experiences are going to help him,” Harris said.
Casali still has plenty of time to gain even more experience. Even at 33-years-old — old for a catcher — the veteran has spent much of his career as a backup, so the stress on his body has been somewhat muted. He’s caught 2,767.1 career innings; Buster Posey, for reference, retired after squatting for 9,291.2.
The catcher’s also coming off one of the most productive stretches of his career. His five home runs in May is tied for the second most in a single month of his career, and he only played in 14 games because of a concussion. As rookie Joey Bart has struggled to command an everyday role, Casali has taken advantage of more consistent plate appearances.
Among catchers with at least 60 plate appearances, Casali’s 119 wRC+ ranks tied for eighth. That’s coming from a catcher with the reputation for game-calling and managing a staff with aplomb.
But still, it never hurts to have that Plan B in the back of your mind. Casali and close friend Mike Yastrzemski have discussed just that. They’ve had plenty of conversations about what they might want to do next and what life might throw at them.
Casali cracked that one of his first moves as an executive would be to hire Yastrzemski. Not so he could have a trustworthy confidant, but so he could be the outfielder’s boss.
“For the record, I’d never accept the job,” Yastrzemski said. “I’d never work under Curt.”
That doesn’t mean Yastrzemski thinks Casali’s ambitions are ill-conceived.
“He’s very thoughtful and cautious with his decision-making,” Yastrzemski said. “He always puts a lot of thought and effort into things before he acts on them. I think that would play really well in a front office in making smart moves, being one step ahead of what’s about to happen. Just always being prepared for any sort of situation that may arise in terms of moves, in terms of knowing what players are good at what. And especially knowing how a group would mesh well together.”
