From catching waves to backup catching?
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — To the extent a roster candidate can help his cause before the exhibition games, catcher Aramis Garcia has impressed the right person as he bids to become Buster Posey’s backup.
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi heard manager Bruce Bochy rave about the way the ball has jumped off Garcia’s bat in practice, then saw it for himself.
“That’s been a real revelation to me not having seen him up close,” Zaidi said. “The power has been really impressive, and he’s a guy I could see taking on a bigger role, especially if Buster is limited early in the season.”
Garcia’s ability to play first base, too, helps his cause as the Giants try to cobble a versatile 25-man roster. He will have a lot of experienced competition from Steven Vogt, Cameron
Rupp and Rene Rivera. And, hey, if the baseball thing does not work out, there’s always Mavericks.
Although Garcia spent part of the offseason working with instructors to tweak his swing and improve his catching mechanics, he also relaxed on a surfboard while visiting a cousin in Newport Beach who works for the Billabong surf shop.
“Relaxed” might not be the right word.
“I was just trying to steer clear of the pier,” Garcia said. “I’ve seen plenty of videos of guys going straight into the big posts.”
Relax, Giants fans. Garcia’s cousin kept the 26-year-old in more “mellow spots” at Blackies and State Park beaches, although he did wipe out a few times.
“It’s definitely something I want to keep doing, for sure,” said Garcia, who spent the winter mainly in Arizona but plans to return home to South Florida next offseason. That is not a surfing decision. Garcia’s family is there, but he did say, “You can’t beat the water. It’s very therapeutic.”
Reliever added: The Giants added to their area of biggest strength by agreeing to terms with former San Diego and Seattle reliever Nick Vincent on a minor-league deal. Vincent was in camp Thursday.
The right-hander has appeared in at least 60 games in each the past three seasons. He took a step back in 2018 when his ERA rose to 3.99 from 3.20 the year before; some of his peripheral numbers were better, particularly strikeouts per nine innings. They rose from 7 to 8.9 year over year.