Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
In deciding which catcher to keep, Johnny Cueto was entered into the equation.
The Giants are calling up Joey Bart, their star catching prospect, who hits righty. And yet in a corresponding move, a team that platoons like it breathes is demoting a switch-hitting catcher rather than a righty-hitting catcher.
Tyler Heineman will be Sacramento’s newest addition, the 29-year-old sent down after 13 games in which he slashed .195/.283/.220 — actually slightly better than his competition, Chadwick Tromp hitting .178/.188/.333 in 14 games.
The advantage Tromp carries, though, is a comfort level with Johnny Cueto, both Spanish speakers. Since Heineman caught Cueto’s season debut, when Tromp was not yet on the roster, Tromp has been the catcher for Cueto in all five of his ensuing starts.
“I don’t know how much Johnny Cueto would attribute some of his early-season success to the work that he’s done with Tromp, but it’s not nothing,” Gabe Kapler said on a Zoom before the Giants hosted the Angels on Thursday for Bart’s debut. “Tromp has done a really nice job there. He’s done a nice job of framing pitches. He’s been a stabilizing force in the dugout and in the bullpen, and we just think he’s a nice complementary piece to Joey.”
It may not occur immediately, as Bart likely will need some building up, but the aim appears to be that Bart will get four starts and then can be spelled by Tromp catching Cueto.
“The goal is to get Joey in the lineup as much as possible to get as much experience behind the plate and in the batter’s box as possible,” said Kapler, whose Giants still had to announce a 40-man move that would clear space for Bart.
Heineman, an amiable personality who was the Opening Day starter and whose defense has been both praised and criticized — the Giants love the number of strikes he has stolen, but at the expense of a few catcher’s interferences — will have his dream be put on hold after 18 total major league games.
“Tyler has some things that he needs to work on behind the plate and has some development left in the batter’s box,” Kapler said. “We still think that he can be a quality major leaguer, and he knows what he has to do when he gets to the alternate site to work on.”
Kapler estimated Austin Slater, again at DH, would need two more days before he tries the outfielder, with a flexor strain in his elbow, on defense.
“We have to be cautious with this one,” the manager said.
