Jesús Rodriguez gets another shot with Giants

Rodriguez wound up playing sparingly for the Giants, hitting .231/.302/.385 with two homers, seven RBI and one steal in 43 plate appearances over 14 games, since being called up back on May 4. The 24-year-old will get a chance to play everyday back in the minors until a more permanent opportunity arises.

The stunning early-season trade is now official. Bailey is universally regarded as one of the top defensive specialists in the entire game and should immediately strengthen Cleveland’s entire pitching staff. The 26-year-old backstop is a non-factor at the plate, but he’s a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and seems to fit the mold of what the Guardians front office is looking for in a defensive-oriented starting catcher. It’ll be Bo Naylor heading to Triple-A while veteran Austin Hedges sticks around as his caddy. Bailey’s departure means the Giants are going to roll with youngsters Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodríguez as their catching tandem moving forward.

After going hitless in his debut on Monday, Tuesday was a day of firsts for Rodriguez. A base hit in the second inning drove in a run for his first career hit and RBI. He later took Jeremiah Estrada deep for a solo homer in the seventh inning. He’s now made back-to-back starts at catcher ahead of Patrick Bailey and could take over primary duties if he can produce at the dish.

Rodriguez will get his first look in the majors after spending time at a couple different positions at Triple-A this season. The 24-year-old backstop came over from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade last year and profiles as a versatile bench option for San Francisco.

Eldridge will get another shot after batting .333/.445/.518 for Sacramento, but his return really complicates things, what with his replacement, Casey Schmitt, being arguably the Giants’ best player to date. All of the team’s veteran infielders are used to being everyday players, and it’s hard to imagine any will be happy sitting once or twice per week to make room for Eldridge at first and DH, even if it’s the right call for the team. Rodriguez has started at catcher, second base and in left field this year, so he offers a lot more versatility than Eldridge and will be an easier fit. Still, we’re not sure either rates a pickup in mixed leagues at this point. Eldridge has the potential, but he’ll stay the bench against lefties and possibly the occasional righty.

Rodriguez was part of the return the Giants got from the Yankees for Camilo Doval last season, and he enjoyed a good spring training, going 12-for-34 (/353) with one home run, four RBI, and two steals. He also had a solid 5/3 K/BB ratio. He has played catcher, third base, and DH, and might not really have a defensive home, but he showed that he’s close to ready for MLB pitching. He should get at-bats with the Giants this season.

The 23-year-old backstop has enjoyed another terrific season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .317/.409/.430 with five homers, 41 RBI and 16 stolen bases across 78 games. Rodriguez looks like an excellent addition to the Giants’ organization and one that could climb the ladder to the big leagues in relatively short order.

As is often the case this early in camp, there’s no real surprises among this batch of cuts. Rodriguez, 22, was added to the team’s 40-man roster over the winter to protect him from the Rule-5 draft after he slashed .302/.375/.481 with 10 homers, 47 RBI and nine stolen bases over 333 plate appearances between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2024. He’ll open the 2025 season at the Double-A level.

No surprise here after Durbin recently broke the Arizona Fall League’s single-season steals mark following an impressive campaign last year that included 10 homers and 31 steals across three minor-league levels. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters earlier this month that he expects Durbin to “play a big role” next season, so it’s not out of the question that he’ll carve out a versatile multi-position role with New York in spring training. He’s a prospect fantasy managers should be watching closely in Grapefruit League action.