Giants

Giants Add Some Pop to Catching Group, Call Up Chadwick Tromp

As expected, the Giants added a right-handed hitter with some pop to their catcher rotation upon returning home. 

Chadwick Tromp had his contract purchased and veteran Rob Brantly was designated for assignment. That sets up a left-right platoon of Tromp and fellow rookie Tyler Heineman, who is a switch-hitter and started three of the four games in Los Angeles. 

Tromp, 25, came to the original spring training as a depth piece for Triple-A or possibly even Double-A, but he has had a meteoric rise in recent weeks. Buster Posey's decision to opt out of the season opened up the catching competition to a right-handed hitter and Tromp impressed in simulated games, hitting three homers. 

Tromp played just 26 games in Triple-A with the Reds last season as he came back from an injury and signed with the Giants as a minor league free agent. Two days after Posey opted out, he went deep twice in a camp game. 

"I think it's been clear over the last couple of days that he has the ability to drive the ball," manager Gabe Kapler said after that game. "That's evident. I think we're all seeing that. I think the bat speed is real, I think that's something we need to be paying close attention to. It's notable that we feel like he's going to be good against left-handed pitching. In the past he's had pretty even or even reverse splits, but I don't think we have enough of a feel for what he will do with major league pitching."

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The staff likes Tromp's leadership behind the plate and he has an especially strong rapport with some of the Spanish-speaking pitchers on staff. Tromp is from Aruba, and joins Boston's Xander Bogaerts as the only current players from the country in the big leagues. 

Brantly played just one game against the Dodgers. 

Giants add some pop to catching group, call up Chadwick Tromp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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