LAS VEGAS -- In his first month on the job, oresident of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has made it clear that he'd like the Giants to be much more versatile. That vision even extends to a position not usually known for flexibility.
As the Giants search for a backup to catcher Buster Posey, they're looking for players who also can handle other positions. In Los Angeles, Zaidi had catchers Austin Barnes, who regularly started at second base, and Kyle Farmer, who was an option to start at third.
"We're in the market for a backup catcher, and if that backup catcher is a multi-positional option, that's an advantage," Zaidi said Monday at the MLB Winter Meetings. "I would expect us to do more of that and prioritize those kinds of players going forward.
That's not a great sign for Nick Hundley, the Giants' backup catcher the past two seasons. Hundley hasn't been out of the squat since 2009, when he played one inning in left field. Aramis Garcia, the only current non-Posey catcher on the Giants' 40-man roster, played a solid first base down the stretch last season, which should help his cause.
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The Giants haven't ruled out a reunion with Hundley, who has signed consecutive one-year deals with the team and would like to return. Zaidi's desire for versatility goes beyond which glove you wear. He's also big on platoons, which helps Hundley.
"He hits left-handed pitching very well and is a real leader on the team, so that's certainly an option for us as we're looking at a catcher and maybe two catchers for the depth chart," Zaidi said of Hundley.
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Hundley had a .828 OPS and seven homers against left-handed pitchers last season. The staff could decide that the lineup's best look against the division's many left-handers is putting Hundley behind the plate and moving Posey to first more often.