Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — The Giants have added a catcher to their taxi squad. No, not that one.
San Francisco signed veteran Chris Herrmann to a minor league pact before Saturday’s game at Dodger Stadium, adding him to the pool and taxi squad.
The 32-year-old opted out of a deal with the Rays in camp after playing 30 games with Oakland last season. Of note is he is a lefty, the Giants already carrying lefty Rob Brantly and switch-hitter Tyler Heineman. There has not been a further update about righty Chadwick Tromp, whose hamstring tightness helped keep him off the 30-man roster.
This likely means Brantly will not be sticking with the team and could endanger Heineman’s loose grasp on a spot when Joey Bart is brought up. Bart, a righty, could platoon with Herrmann as soon as next week.
While Herrmann, who came up in 2012 with Minnesota, has only played more than 57 games once (in 2017 with Arizona), he is regarded as a major league catcher. The Giants have been trying to decide if Heineman or Brantly is the same, two players who have spent most their career in the minors.
Herrmann has never been much of a threat at the plate, though he has a bit of pop and is better against righties, against whom he has slugged .209/.287/.353.