Eric Haase ended up as one more name in a long line of Giants catching options during a season defined by injuries and churn behind the plate.
San Francisco brought the veteran in on a minor league deal before the year and he showed enough in spring training to stay in the conversation. Even so, the Giants opened with Daniel Susac as the backup because he was a Rule 5 Draft player, and keeping him on the roster all season mattered. Haase instead started in Triple-A Sacramento.
That changed in April when Susac was injured after his blistering start. Haase got the call to the big leagues and, not long after, the Giants’ catching depth chart shifted again when Bailey was traded on May 9. That opened the door for more work for Haase, who eventually put together a line of .162/.235/.365 with four home runs and nine runs batted in over 74 at-bats.
One of those homers, and four of those RBI, came on a grand slam in Milwaukee against the Brewers, his old team. It was one of the few real highlights in a stretch that never really gained traction.
By July 23, the Giants moved on and released him as his production lagged and Susac was coming back. Haase then landed with the Chicago White Sox, spent time with their Triple-A club, got released again, and finally signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves.
Even with Haase gone, the Giants’ situation at catcher still looks unsettled. Susac, Drew Cavanaugh, and Jesus Rodriguez are the in-house names, and all three come with inexperience. San Francisco could decide to ride with that group, but it would make sense to add at least a couple veteran safety nets on minor league contracts.
The catching picture remains cloudy after the Bailey trade, and the Giants may keep cycling through options before they settle on one. For now, the best-case scenario is that Susac or Cavanaugh can simply hold the job.
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