Bailey has starting job locked up, but who will back up the No. 1 backstop?

This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado's Giants Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

With two former catchers -- president of baseball operations Buster Posey and manager Bob Melvin -- leading the organization, there’s no question the Giants understand the value of backstops.

San Francisco’s catching corps will look a bit different following the departures of veteran Curt Casali and Blake Sabol, who was traded to the Red Sox in exchange for international bonus pool money on Jan. 11, but the top of the depth chart remains strong heading into 2025.

Projected starter: Patrick Bailey

For the third straight year, the Giants will rely on perhaps the best defensive catcher in the Majors to take on the lion’s share of the workload. Bailey, 25, won his first career Gold Glove Award in 2024 after leading MLB with a +22 Fielding Run Value last season, and he has become elite at framing and controlling the running game, making him an invaluable asset to the pitching staff.

“I think first and foremost, he's naturally gifted,” Posey said in November. “There's certain people that play the game that have strong attributes, one way or another. He's got them defensively. He works hard at his craft. From being around him when he was just starting and talking to people who worked with him last year, it means a lot to him to impact that side of the ball. I think as he continues to work more and more with the staff, he's only going to get better with the communication with them day to day. I know he's gained a lot of their trust already, and that's a huge part of it.”

Bailey’s glove has turned him into a foundational piece for the Giants, but there are still some questions about his bat, particularly after he faded in the second half for the second straight season. The switch-hitter batted .283 with a .784 OPS and seven homers in the first half, but he hit only .170 with a .433 OPS and one homer over his final 52 games, so he’ll have to find a way to be more consistent and avoid another prolonged slump.

If he can supply steady offensive production, Bailey has the potential to emerge as one of the breakout stars of 2025, as he’s currently forecast to lead the Giants with 4.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to FanGraphs’ Steamer projections.

Backup: Tom Murphy

While Bailey is firmly ensconced as the No. 1 catcher, there’s still some uncertainty surrounding his projected backup. San Francisco signed Murphy to a two-year, $8.25 million deal last offseason, but the 33-year-old veteran appeared in only 13 games before sustaining a season-ending left knee injury in May.

Murphy has an .822 career OPS against left-handed pitching, which makes him a nice complement to Bailey, but he has a lengthy injury history and has never played more than 97 games in any of his nine seasons in the Majors. He should still be the favorite to nab the backup spot if he’s healthy, but the Giants will almost certainly have contingency plans in place in case he suffers another setback during Spring Training.

Also in the mix: Sam Huff, Max Stassi

Huff, 27, was brought into the fold after being claimed off waivers from the Rangers on Jan. 8, and he has batted .258 with a .768 OPS and 10 home runs over 78 big league games. Although he’s flashed some intriguing right-handed pop, he has struck out in 72 of his 214 career plate appearances (34%) and has struggled to stick in the Majors over the past four seasons. He’s out of options, meaning the Giants won’t be able to send him to the Minors without exposing him to waivers.

Stassi, 33, will likely be among the non-roster invitees after signing a Minor League deal in November, but he’s coming off surgery on his left hip and hasn’t played in the Majors since 2022, when he batted .180 with a .570 OPS over 102 games with the Angels. A fourth-round Draft pick of the A’s in 2009, Stassi is viewed as an above-average receiver and has been worth +26 Defensive Runs Saved over his 10-year career with the Astros and Angels.