Gee, who might the 2015 catcher be?

Yep, we blew it.

News of the day (or at least news of the past couple of days) sidetracked us and we never got through breaking down roster possibilities. Now you gotta admit that the one position we hadn’t gotten to has even less drama than an episode of "Seinfeld". I think it’s a safe bet that we know who’ll be behind the plate, so let’s get this over with.

  

He who would lead them (uh, that's Posey)

The current incarnation of the Giants as we know them starts with Buster Posey. He’s the quarterback on the field, the middle of the batting order and the face of the team. Yes, there were other parts in place when he came on the scene in 2010 but the rise of San Francisco as a force not to be discounted started, not with the 1997 arrivals of Brian Sabean or Barry Bonds or Tim Lincecum. 

Sabean laid a foundation. Bonds built a stadium. Lincecum brought the sizzle. All Posey brought with him was trophies. This just in: they’re pretty.

Just for the record, Posey didn’t take over full-time catching duties until June of that year (he began his tenure at First Base while the incumbent was shopped) but still took Rookie of the Year honors. The team caught fire and the result was two-fold: San Francisco won its first crown, and Giants fans never again had to suffer the four most dreaded words in baseball: “Batting clean-up, Bengie Molina”.

He’s the key. Posey's injury in 2011 was the catalyst for that season’s demise, and his return the next year resulted in another World Series ring. Somehow the planets weren’t properly aligned in 2013 and injuries derailed 2015 before the train left the station, but in between Posey claimed his third ring and the 2014 NL batting crown and MVP award.

To say Posey will be the team’s front-line catcher is like predicting the sun will rise in the west, Kanye will say something stupid, and Taylor Swift will get rich writing songs about the guys (and apparently they are legion) who got tired of her crap.

 

And he who would follow (Susac)

There’s a similar “well, duh” attitude toward the back-up; no small role considering the team’s penchant for “resting” Posey at First Base. 

Management seems determined to limit Posey’s exposure to the rigors of catching: 121 games in 2013, 111 in 2014 and 106 last year. Over that same span his appearances at 1B went from 21 to 35 to 42, fueling speculation that he’ll eventually make the move to the less physically-taxing position. No rush, he’s just 28.

Posey’s flexibility, he’s actually a really good first baseman, means more opportunities for others to shine and eventually win a job. The obvious successor is 25-year-old Andrew Susac, especially since Hector Santiago has mercifully moved on, but he may get pushed.

Over the last two seasons Susac enjoyed basically half a year in the Majors. He hit .273 over 35 games in 2014 and many figured him to be the guy to make Brandon Belt expendable. Last season he appeared in 52 games and the average plummeted to .218; one of those things that make you go “Hmmn.” There’s not enough of a sample size (221 ABs) to warrant consternation but also not enough production to make him a lock.

His 2015 splits were a bit concerning. He was a sub-Mendoza line hitter on the road and against right-handers. Against a righty on the road he could have held the bat at the wrong end and it wouldn’t have mattered. He might was well have gone to the plate swinging the Gatorade jug. He had one great month, hitting .342 in June, then went into witness protection.

A July thumb sprain put him on the 15-day DL and a sprained wrist in September ended his season, so the story isn’t all gloom and doom. A healthy Susac might be everything the Giants hope, but he’ll need to put up numbers similar to those from Fresno and Sacramento where he hit .268 and .321 respectively. The Giants are hopeful and even have him taking balls at First Base, hoping his bat is worthy of inclusion.

 

Trevor Brown with air time

Otherwise someone else is gonna get a shot. It may happen anyway, considering the Giants tend to need that third catcher from time to time. They like 24-year-old UCLA product Trevor Brown enough to place him on the active roster for camp. He went 9-for-39 (.231) with five RBI on behalf of the big club last year and hit .261 at Sacramento. He’s an obvious choice for instant help should someone falter, but likely starts his year in AAA due to a lack of power  -- Brown hasn’t hit more than three in a season as a pro.

Under the “break glass in an emergency” category there’s free-agent signee George Kottaras, a career .215 hitter who has worn out the path between AAA and the majors since 2003. Among prospects, the brightest is 2014 second-rounder Aramis Garcia. He’s in need of defensive polish but reportedly has the tools, and a strong 2015 at low Class-A Augusta helps offset limited production in a brief stint with San Jose.

The Giants are known for drafting pitchers but they haven’t ignored the other half of the battery, drafting 14 over the last three years. But as long as Posey stays healthy and remains, well, Posey; the present is secure.