Former SF Giants catcher Austin Wynns signs MLB deal with Dodgers

The SF Giants recently made catcher Austin Wynns a free agent. Now he joins their biggest rival, signing a MLB contract with the Dodgers.

Marc Delucchi | Apr 16, 2023

Former SF Giants catcher Austin Wynns signs MLB deal with Dodgers /

In this story:

The SF Giants moved on from catcher Austin Wynns earlier this week when they designated him for assignment to clear a spot on the roster for Joey Bart. Now Wynns has signed a major-league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a report by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The Dodgers have placed catcher Will Smith on the injured list with a concussion, creating an immediate need in Los Angeles behind the plate.

SF Giants second baseman Ford Proctor (65) celebrates with catcher Austin Wynns (14) after hitting a grand slam during the second inning against the Rockies. (2022) — SF Giants second baseman Ford Proctor celebrates with catcher Austin Wynns. (2022) / Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Wynns emerged as a solid backup catcher for the Giants toward the end of the 2022 season. The right-handed hitter posted a .259/.313/.358 triple-slash in 177 plate appearances (65 games) with seven doubles and three home runs. He was also a solid player defensively, overcoming early struggles with catcher's interference after he adopted the coaching staff's techniques, which attempt to improve framing numbers.

Despite his solid performance, the Giants designated Wynns off the 40-man roster over the course of the offseason. While he had enough experience to become a free agent, he opted to forego free agency to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster. However, after the acquisitions multiple veterans and a Rule 5 pick, Wynns was buried on the depth chart. He had an impressive spring, blasting three home runs alongside a .632 slugging percentage with as many walks as strikeouts, but still fell short of the Opening Day roster.

The SF Giants briefly recalled Wynns after a pair of injuries depleted the team's catching depth, but he was designated for assignment once again after appearing in just one game with the team. He has now appeared in five of the past six MLB seasons, receiving stints with the Baltimore Orioles in 2018, 2019, and 2021 before joining the Giants last year. Wynns has a .230/.274/.335 triple-slash over his MLB career. He also recorded an OPS north of 1.000 at Triple-A in 2021 and 2022.

Austin Wynns is not likely to be a long-term option with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, with Will Smith on the injured list, the 31-year-old will provide a solid veteran presence behind the plate until Smith is able to return.

Published Apr 16, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).