SF Giants acquire former Dbacks, Mariners catcher in trade with Mets

The SF Giants acquired former Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel in a trade with the New York Mets.

The SF Giants acquired catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel in a trade with the New York Mets on Tuesday for cash considerations. The Mets designated Hummel for assignment last week, and rather than taking their chances via waivers, San Francisco opted to skip the line and work out a deal. The 29-year old Hummel has had stints in the major leagues in each of the past two seasons.

Arizona Dbacks catcher Cooper Hummel in an Arizona Fall League game. (2022) / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Hummel spent the majority of last season with the Seattle Mariners Triple-A affiliate, hitting .262/.409/.435 with 27 doubles, eight triples, six home runs, and 26 stolen bases (32 caught stealing). He did appear in 10 big-league games with the Mariners, but managed just two hits (a single and a double) in 26 plate appearances with two walks and nine strikeouts. His numbers in the minors were down from previous levels and the Mariners opted to designate Hummel for assignment after the season, when he was claimed by the Mets.

Hummel took a step forward as a prospect following the cancelled 2020 minor-league season. From 2021-22, Hummel recorded a .310/.429/.540 triple-slash with 29 doubles, seven triples, and 18 home runs in 522 plate appearances between the Brewers and Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliates. That performance earned him a prolonged opportunity as the DBacks catcher in 2022. However, he only managed to hit .176/.274/.304 in 201 plate appearances.

A Portland, Oregon native, Hummel was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Portland. Hummel steadily climbed the minor-league ranks with the Brewers but was far from a top prospect. The Brewers clearly hoped to develop him into a versatile bench piece, having him begin spending more time in the corner outfield.

At the 2021 trade deadline, Hummel was part of a two-player package the Brewers sent to the Diamondbacks for infielder Eduardo Escobar. Then, following the 2022 season, Hummel was traded to the Mariners for outfielder Kyle Lewis.

Defensively, Hummel has graded out as a below-average corner outfielder and catcher, which is likely why several teams have been willing to move on from him. Nevertheless, if he can translate some of his Triple-A production to the major leagues, it's easy to see him filling a valuable bench role.

Hummel's potential role in the Giants organization is obvious. He is a switch hitter who did not show any noticeable platoon splits outside of this past season against left-handed pitching. With a minor-league option remaining, Hummel could remain on the organization's 40-man roster and begin the season at Triple-A and serve as catching depth for Blake Sabol and the oft-injured Tom Murphy or in the outfield.

The SF Giants have been known to churn through the edges of the 40-man roster under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. If the team does plan to keep Cooper Hummel in the organization, it could also another signal that the front office is actively shopping Austin Slater. Slater has been an excellent platoon bat against left-handed pitching throughout his career, but the 40-man roster now has outfielders like Luis Matos, Heliot Ramos, TJ Hopkins, and Cooper Hummel who all played in the major leagues last season.