The Giants announced that they have signed catcher Andrew Knizner. He will take the active roster spot of fellow backstop Zach Morgan, who has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. They also reinstated outfielder Victor Bericoto from the 10-day injured list and designated infielder/outfielder Eddys Leonard for assignment. Prior to the official announcement, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to note that Knizner had a locker in the clubhouse.
The catching corps in San Francisco has been changing all year. Patrick Bailey once seemed like a long-term piece behind the plate but the Giants have instead opted to give playing time to rookies Daniel Susac, Jesús Rodríguez and Drew Cavanaugh. Along the way, Bailey was traded to the Guardians in May.
Right elbow neuritis put Rodríguez on the injured list on the first day of this month. Susac followed him there yesterday due to a patellar fracture. The Giants quickly promoted Morgan, an organizational depth type, to take Susac’s spot. They have now quickly pivoted to a more established option.
Knizner just opted out of a minor league deal with the Red Sox a few days ago. He has been having a good year in the minors. Split between the Triple-A clubs of the Rockies and Red Sox, he has a .294/.393/.552 line in 234 plate appearances. His 12.4% walk rate and 16.7% strikeout rate are both strong figures.
That kind of production hasn’t been the norm throughout his big league career, as he has a .211/.281/.316 line in 975 career plate appearances. He has also generally had poor defensive marks, though he has been closer to average in recent seasons. If he can get his major league offense anywhere near this year’s minor league numbers, he could be a serviceable stopgap for the Giants.
Leonard, 25, was just added to the roster a week ago. He stepped to the plate eight times and recorded two hits. It seems the Giants only intended for him to be called up as a temporary fill-in while they waited for Bericoto. That puts a sour coda on what had been a feel-good story.
Despite his relatively young age, it had been quite a journey for Leonard. He had a 40-man roster spot from November of 2021 through the end of the 2024 season, with the Dodgers and Tigers, without getting called up. He exhausted his option years in that span. He was then non-tendered by Detroit and spent the past year-plus stuck in the minors. He finally made it up with the Giants this month but it didn’t amount to more than a cameo.
With the trade deadline in the past, Leonard will be placed on waivers. His big league track record is minimal but he has generally performed well in the minors. This year, prior to his promotion, he made 321 Triple-A plate appearances split between the affiliates of the Brewers and Giants. He hit 16 home runs while also posting strong walk and strikeout rates of 10.3% and 19.3%, respectively. He slashed .272/.361/.509 for a 125 wRC+. He stole eight bases while playing all four infield spots and the outfield corners. If a club out there is intrigued enough to put in a claim, he can be retained for the rest of this season and six full seasons after that.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
