SF Giants acquire Rockies catcher Dom Núñez off waivers

The SF Giants claimed Elk Grove, California native Dom Núñez off waivers from the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

The SF Giants claimed catcher Dom Núñez off waivers from the Colorado Rockies amidst a slew of roster moves earlier this week. An Elk Grove, California native, Núñez becomes the third catcher on the Giants 40-man roster, joining Joey Bart and Austin Wynns.

The SF Giants claimed Rockies catcher Dom Núñez off waivers

Núñez was drafted by the Rockies in the sixth round of the 2013 MLB draft out of Elk Grove High School, where he was teammates with current big leaguers Dylan Carlson, Rowdy Tellez, Derek Hill, and J.D. Davis. The Rockies offered Núñez a well above-slot $800,000 signing bonus, and he decided to forego his commitment to UCLA and turn pro. He quickly climbed the Rockies minor-league ranks with an advanced plate approach and defense behind the plate.

In 2015, Núñez had an excellent season at Single-A, where he .282/.373/.448 with 13 home runs and nearly as many walks (53) as strikeouts (55) as a 20-year-old. While he struggled to replicate those offensive numbers as he progressed through Colorado's farm system, Núñez still showcased an impressive ability to work walks and avoid strikeouts alongside some power.

Núñez made his MLB debut in August of 2019, but struggled against big-league pitching. Serving as Tony Wolters' backup catcher, Núñez struck out in nearly 40% of his plate appearances while hitting .179/.233/.410 with 2 home runs in 43 plate appearances.

His struggles in 2019 led the Rockies to go in a different direction during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when Elias Diaz and Drew Butera were the Rockies backup catchers instead of Núñez.

In 2021, however, Núñez made the Rockies Opening Day roster and appeared in 81 games as Diaz's backup. His strikeout woes continued in his first full MLB season, but his high walk rate and occasional home run power helped him post a more acceptable .692 OPS (.189/.293/.399 triple-slash).

Núñez lost his job this past season, and only appeared in 14 games with the Rockies. In 62 games at Triple-A, Núñez posted a mediocre .223/.319/.360 line despite playing at one of the most hitter-friendly environments in professional baseball.

Still, Núñez has become an average defensive catcher and despite his struggles has maintained above-average walk rates. While his power numbers were likely aided by playing his home games at Coors Field, Núñez is a left-handed hitter who has shown significant platoon splits. With both Bart and Wynns batting right-handed, Núñez could potentially offer manager Gabe Kapler some added flexibility.

The SF Giants will surely keep churning through the edges of their 40-man roster all offseason long. However, given the questions surrounding the catching position heading into next season, it's not out of the question that Dom Núñez is competing for a spot on the Giants Opening Day roster in spring training.