The San Francisco Giants have reportedly bolstered their catching depth. According to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media, the team signed veteran catcher to a minor league contract on Sunday night.
SF Giants bolster catching depth after adding veteran backstop on minor league deal
The Giants struggled with catching depth throughout the 2024 season, a situation they aim to prevent in 2025.
While the addition of Max Stassi might not immediately resolve those concerns, it provides a potential option. Stassi hasn’t played in the majors since 2022, having missed the entire 2023 season due to a family emergency. His son, Jackson, was born over three months prematurely and faced significant health challenges. Fortunately, Jackson has since recovered, bringing stability to the Stassi family, as reported by Sam Blum of The Athletic.
Traded to the Chicago White Sox last offseason, Stassi underwent hip surgery in June 2024 and played just five rehab games before being shut down.
Drafted in the fourth round in 2009 out of Yuba City High School, Stassi has built a 10-year MLB career, compiling a .212/.295/.361 slash line (83 wRC+) with a 9.3% walk rate, 29.5% strikeout rate, and a .149 ISO. His best season came in 2021 with the Los Angeles Angels when he posted a .752 OPS, 13 home runs, and 45 RBIs, earning a 2.9 fWAR. The Angels rewarded him with a three-year, $17.5 million contract, though the White Sox later declined his 2025 team option, buying him out for $500,000.
Known more for his defense than his bat, Stassi has been credited with +26 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +20 Outs Above Average (OAA) in his career.
This minor league deal carries no risk for the Giants and offers depth behind Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy. Murphy missed much of 2024 with a knee injury and has struggled with durability. Additionally, signing with the Giants allows Stassi the possibility of playing near his hometown of Yuba City if assigned to the Sacramento River Cats.
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