Former Philadelphia Phillies Catching Prospect Signs Deal with NL West Rival

The San Francisco Giants signed a former Philadelphia Phillies second-round pick to help solve their catching issues.

Aug 12, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Andrew Knapp (5) bats in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Knapp, a former Philadelphia Phillies second-round pick and catching prospect, signed a Major League deal with the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

The Giants slid Knapp, 32, into the starting lineup for their game with the Seattle Mariners.

Knapp hasn’t played for the Phillies since 2021. He played five seasons before he was outrighted by the Phillies after that season.

Since then he’s been hanging on the fringes of the game. He landed with the Cincinnati Reds to start the 2022 season but didn’t make the team. He played a combined 16 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mariners and the Giants in 2022.

After the Giants released him in late 2022, he signed minor-league deals with the Detroit Tigers, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, but never received a call-up.

He put up solid numbers for the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate this year, as he slashed .294/.383/.457/.840 with nine home runs and 44 RBI.

The Rangers released him the day before the Giants signed him.

San Francisco signed Knapp to take some starts after an injury to starter Patrick Bailey, who went on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain earlier this week.

It’s Bailey’s third stint on the injured list. The first two were on the seven-day concussion list, with the first coming after he was hit in the face while catching a pitch against the Phillies in May.

Knapp is more than a decade into his pro career after the Phillies selected him in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft out of Cal.

In the minors, he evolved into one of the Phillies’ highly-regarded prospects. In 2014 he was an MiLB Organizational All-Star after he slashed .260/.324/.385 with six home runs and 32 RBI.

Then, in 2015, he was a mid-season Florida State League All-Star and, combined with his play at Double-A Reading, he was named the winner of the Paul Owens Award as the organization’s top minor-league player.

He was then named an International League mid-season All Star in 2016 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Once he made the Phillies’ roster in 2017 he settled into a role as the backup, first to Cameron Rupp, then Jorge Alfaro and finally to current starter J.T. Realmuto.

Before Friday’s game he had played in 325 Major League games and had a slash line of .209/.310/.313/.623 with 13 home runs and 66 RBI. He developed a reputation as a solid game-caller and defender during his career.