Chris Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Among the slew of moves the Giants made before Tuesday’s game was calling up a catcher, and it notably was not Joey Bart.
The Giants placed Curt Casali on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist stain and called up Chadwick Tromp to be the backup catcher for a little while. Other transactions on a busy day: Righty Dominic Leone was added to both the 40- and 26-man rosters; space was cleared on the former by placing newly acquired righty Sam Delaplane on the 60-day injured list after Tommy John surgery, and space was cleared on the latter by optioning righty Nick Tropeano.
It does not project to a be a long-term stay for Tromp because Gabe Kapler doesn’t “anticipate it being much longer than” 10 days for Casali to be ready. And yet, it was the 26-year-old Tromp, who debuted last year, over the 24-year-old Bart, who also debuted last season but comes with No. 2-overall pick expectations.
“I just think Chadwick is prepared to help us in the short term,” Kapler said before the matchup with the Angels at Oracle Park. “I don’t necessarily think it was a strict comparison. In some ways, I think Joey’s development is really important, and we’re just going to allow that to continue.”
Bart recently had missed time with a groin injury, but he returned to play in Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. He has been tearing up the league, slashing .378/.429/.667 in 49 plate appearances, after a strong spring training. And yet, his 2020 struggles — in which he struck out 41 times in 111 plate appearances, revealed there was still plenty of work to do with his swing.
The other factor here is that if Bart were called up, he would be joining a Giants team for which he would rarely play. It is possible Tromp only makes two starts, even with Posey’s two-on, one off-schedule; San Francisco has an off day Wednesday and next Monday, signaling Tromp only would play one game in the four-game series against the Cubs and then possibly one in Washington before Casali may be able to return.
The Giants want the top prospect to get consistent at-bats where he can get them.
“Joey’s best path for development is right where he is,” Kapler said.