The Giants announced tonight that they have designated catcher/outfielder Blake Sabol for distribution. The move frees up roster spot for signing Justin Verlandernow officially released.
Sabol, who celebrated his 27th birthday earlier this week, was a seventh-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2019 and was selected by San Francisco out of the organization in the 2022 Rule 5 draft. That puts Sabol on the Giants’ 2023 Opening Day roster, and he’s performed admirably for a player with only 25 games of Triple-A game experience. Sabol split time between catcher and left field in 2023, hitting a respectable .235/.301/.394 (91 wRC+) in 344 plate appearances.
However, when the Giants optioned him to the minor leagues in 2024, Sabol quickly returned to Triple-A, making only a brief cameo in the majors last year. However, he played well in those 11 games, hitting .313/.421/.375 in 38 at-bats while helping cover Patrick Bailey En route to the concussion-related injured list. In the minors, Sabol posted an offensive line of just .246/.340/.388 in Triple-A, which is good for a wRC+ of just 85.
Sabol’s lackluster performance in Triple-A seemed to make him an expendable depth option in the eyes of the president of baseball operations. Buster Posey and the Giants front office. The club recently claimed the catcher Sam Huff With the Rangers on waivers, this may make the need for Sabol on the 40-man roster even more unnecessary. Huff is not a minor league option and cannot be sent to the minor leagues without claiming waivers, but he could still provide the club with depth behind Bailey, Tom Murphy Throughout spring training, even on the roster as the third catcher.
Going forward, the Giants will have a week to complete a trade involving Sabol or put him on waivers. As an optional receiver depth option, it wouldn’t be surprising to see clubs with receiver needs take the opportunity to take Sabol off waivers in hopes of helping him rediscover something closer to the offensive form he showed in 2023. Will make him a great player. If Sabol goes unclaimed through waivers, the Giants could elect to keep him as a non-roster depth option for the 2025 season.
