LOS ANGELES — When he arrived in Giants camp this spring, Eric Haase already had caught for three other big league organizations. He learned to play left field along the way and even got some reps at first base. He became familiar with the rhythm of a backup catcher, and learned to accept what that means when you’re 33 and hoping to stick around the big leagues.
For players with Haase’s profile, there’s generally a familiar path at this point. You look for starts and opportunities where you can, even if that means a return to Triple-A. Perhaps you start to think about life as a manager. Or life in the broadcast booth. The position is a pipeline for both professions.
That was what was hanging over Haase when he arrived. What was in front of him was a brick wall.
The Giants had a Gold Glove-winning catcher in Patrick Bailey and a pair of talented 24-year-old backup options in Daniel Susac and Jesús Rodríguez. On performance alone, Haase was neck and neck with Susac all spring. But Susac is a decade younger and a Rule 5 pick. It was never really much of a competition.
When Susac officially was chosen, Haase took an opt-out in his contract, but not because he wanted to leave the organization.
“They wanted to see what they had in Sus, which is fantastic for them,” Haase said Tuesday night. “The only reason I took the opt-out is I’ve never been in this position before contractually. If there was a big league job to be had I’d love to put my hat in that mix.”
Haase found that the market for backup catchers at the end of March was nonexistent. That was fine. The Giants were more than willing to let him look around for a few days, and thrilled when he returned and reported to Sacramento. That kind of veteran depth in Triple-A is valuable, and Haase had no hard feelings.
“I was really happy to get back here,” he said. “We kind of had a gentleman’s agreement coming into it that I’d love to be here and if we could make that work that’d be great, and we made it work.”
The plan has taken unexpected turns, but right now, they’re certainly making it work.
Bailey is a Cleveland Guardian, and Susac had an injury that led to Haase getting called up. On Tuesday, in his fifth start for the Giants, he became the first Giants catcher to ever hit two homers in one game at Dodger Stadium.
Haase did the heavy lifting, and the rest of the lineup continued to hum. Adrian Houser and the bullpen handled the rest, and a 6-2 win gave the Giants four victories in their last five days. They’re also 4-1 against the Dodgers.
The two solo shots off Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the headliner. Haase became the first player to get to Yamamoto twice in one game, and the first Giants catcher to hit two homers against the Dodgers in any ballpark since 1987, when Bob Melvin did it at Candlestick.
But as he replayed it all in his head, manager Tony Vitello found other highlights.
“I thought what he did behind the plate was incredible,” Vitello said. “He did a lot of the things that you’re wanting to say or do from the dugout.”
That hasn’t always been the case this season between the bench and the catching position, but this is a different look going forward, and early on at least, the Giants are benefiting from Buster Posey’s decision to prioritize offense from a position where he himself won a Gold Glove.
For Haase, this isn’t actually all that new. The two homers off Yamamoto gave him 50 in the big leagues.
“I was just trying to be on time,” Haase said. “I hate to just really simplify it to that, but being in a role where I could be playing everyday or I don’t know if I’m going to play for the next month, when I get my cleats in the dirt, I’m just trying to help the team and push forward.”
As the Giants look forward, they might again be faced with a tough roster decision at catcher, just a few days after they made one.
Susac has been swinging a hot bat on his rehab assignment, and Vitello said Tuesday that the training staff wants to see him catch a full nine innings for Triple-A Sacramento before returning. Susac caught seven in Round Rock in the afternoon.
Could the Giants still go with a three-catcher alignment even with Bailey in Cleveland? Roster restrictions might require it, at least temporarily.
Rodríguez essentially has been the starter since Bailey was first put on the trade block and isn’t going anywhere. Haase is out of minor league options, and if the Giants let him out on the market a second time, someone else might pounce after watching Tuesday’s swings. In his third at-bat, Haase went 399 feet to dead center but missed a third homer by a few inches.
Susac, the one currently missing from the roster, cannot be optioned to Triple-A at any point this season because he’s a Rule 5 pick. It would be odd to carry three right-handed-hitting, bat-first catchers, but in a way, the three make sense together, and they finally could give Vitello some bench options.
Haase has a 22-homer season (2021) in his past and could provide some needed pop off the bench. Both Susac and Rodríguez have shown the bat-to-ball skills early on to be good pinch-hit options late in games. Asked about it Tuesday night, Vitello pointed out that both Haase and Rodríguez are comfortable in the outfield. Haase still takes fly balls several times a week, just in case.
“Wherever you need me,” Haase said. “If I’m between the lines, it’s full compete mode.”
Right now the Giants simply are looking for ways to jolt the offense, and their catchers are pitching in on a daily basis. If Susac joins the party in the next few days, though, a difficult move will have to be made elsewhere. One of Bryce Eldridge, Drew Gilbert or Christian Koss would have to be optioned.
The Giants will sort it all out when Susac is ready, and that day is coming soon. It’s a good problem to have, and through the season’s first six weeks, there haven’t been a lot of those.
This isn’t exactly what the Giants had in mind when they started shopping Bailey, but on Tuesday, Haase helped them get another huge win. He’s happy to still be here, and the feeling is mutual.
“He’s a good one to be in the trenches with,” Vitello said.
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