Giants snag Huff off waivers, adding to plethora of catching options
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The Giants bolstered their catching depth on Wednesday by claiming Sam Huff off waivers from the Rangers. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Austin Warren was designated for assignment.
Huff, who will turn 27 on Jan. 14, has spent parts of four seasons with Texas, where he batted .258 with a .768 OPS and 10 home runs over 78 big league games. While he offers some nice right-handed pop, the 6-foot-4 Huff also has some chase issues and has struck out in 72 of his 214 career plate appearances (34%) in the Majors.
A seventh-round Draft pick of the Rangers in 2016, Huff spent most of last season at Triple-A Round Rock, hitting .246 with a .726 OPS and 13 homers over 111 games. Most of his reps have come behind the plate, but he¡¯s also been used at first base and as designated hitter, too.
Patrick Bailey will be back as the Giants¡¯ starting catcher in 2025, but there are some question marks surrounding veteran Tom Murphy, who appeared in only 13 games before suffering a season-ending left knee injury last May. Murphy remains in line to serve as Bailey¡¯s primary backup after signing a two-year, $8.25 million deal last offseason, but Huff¡¯s arrival should give the Giants some extra coverage in case they¡¯re hit with more injuries this spring.
Huff is out of options, meaning the Giants won¡¯t be able to send him to the Minors without exposing him to waivers. San Francisco¡¯s catching depth chart also features Blake Sabol and veteran Max Stassi, who signed a Minor League deal in November.
Warren, 28, logged a 1.69 ERA over six appearances after returning from Tommy John surgery last year, but he ended up being squeezed out of the Giants¡¯ bullpen mix, which already includes stalwarts like Ryan Walker, Camilo Doval, Taylor and Tyler Rogers, Erik Miller, Sean Hjelle and Randy Rodr¨ªguez.