ST. LOUIS — The Giants are finally nearing full strength, which meant a difficult roster decision was inevitable.
That move came early Saturday morning, when the Giants traded utility player Mauricio Dubón to the Houston Astros in exchange for a 26-year-old defense-first minor-league catcher, Michael Papierski. Donovan Walton, who was just acquired from the Mariners this week, was activated and started at second base Saturday in St. Louis.
Dubón had been battling for a roster spot in spring training with fellow infielder Thairo Estrada — both of whom are out of minor-league options — but injuries to Evan Longoria, Tommy La Stella and LaMonte Wade Jr. bought the Giants more time to find a landing spot for the loser of that competition.
With Walton starting Saturday, it marked only the second game this season that Estrada has not filled in for the injured La Stella at second base. Dubón had been mostly limited to a roving bench role, batting .239 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 49 plate appearances and appeared to be the most likely victim of the coming roster crunch, despite batting 7-for-17 (.412) with two home runs over the past week.
Longoria and Wade both made their season debuts in the past two weeks, and La Stella isn’t far behind. So on Saturday, San Francisco shipped Dubón to Houston, ending his two-plus-year tenure with the team he developed an affinity for after moving from Honduras to Sacramento in high school.
“Eventually we’re going to have a roster with Tommy La Stella on it,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “At some point, that was going to mean we have to make some tough decisions.”
As recently as Friday night, Kapler commended the contributions Dubón was making this season and the growth he had displayed from a year ago. Dubón earned criticism — and his final minor-league assignment — last season for some of his decision-making on the base paths and his initial reticence to take on the superutility role Kapler asked of him.
But the way he took the news of the trade spoke to his growth, Kapler said.
“I think if this would’ve happened a calendar year ago, if Mauricio had been traded, he would’ve been less prepared for it and it may have stung in a different way,” Kapler said. “I think he recognizes that this is a great opportunity for him. He’s matured a lot and become a better baseball player and teammate.”
Dubón, who was born and raised in Honduras, moved to Sacramento when he was in high school and became a Giants fan, idolizing Brandon Crawford. He didn’t speak to reporters in St. Louis but posted a message on social media: “Thank you for making a kids dream true.”
Thank you for making a kids dream true 🙌🏽🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/C1DzCNVBYO
— Mauricio Dubon (@Mauriciodubon10) May 14, 2022
Now he heads to Houston, where he’ll get to play for former Giants manager Dusty Baker — a fellow Sacramento-area resident — and show off his ability to play second, third and center field in addition to shortstop.
Papierski, 26, was not on Houston’s 40-man roster. A switch-hitter, Papierski spent the past two seasons at Triple-A, batting .246 with seven homers and 46 RBIs in 2021, good for a .754 OPS, with nearly as many walks (64) as strikeouts (85) in 410 plate appearances.
“He is a good defensive catcher, a good framer, a good teammate. All the things we look for, like the baseline, particularly with a catcher,” Kapler said. “The ability to lead a pitching staff, smart game caller, controls the strike zone really well. We know that’s an important part of being a Giant is being selectively aggressive. He embodies the characteristics of what we appreciate as an offensive player.”
Papierski’s numbers are down in 2022, only batting .211 with one homer and a .602 OPS. But he’s actually improved his walk-strikeout numbers, now with more walks (14) than strikeouts (nine) through 108 plate appearances. He’ll report to Triple-A Sacramento, where he’ll team up behind the plate with 23-year-old prospect Ricardo Genoves.
Joey Bart and Curt Casali remain the only two catchers on the Giants’ 40-man roster, which numbers 39 players after the moves Saturday.
Walton, 27, was just acquired on Wednesday in a trade with the Mariners. A .196 hitter over parts of the past four seasons with the Mariners who plays second, third, short and left field, he figures to stick around until La Stella is ready to return from the injured list.
La Stella (right Achilles sheath) played nine innings Friday night for the first time on his rehab assignment, slugging a grand slam as part of a 2-for-5 effort at the plate.
“He’s continuing to trend in the right direction. He’s getting healthier and healthier,” Kapler said. “I don’t think it’s any secret that when he’s healthy and ready, he’s a really important part of our team. … Mauricio (was) a guy who doesn’t have options left and is a major leaguer, so this is the move that makes the most sense for the Astros and the Giants and our clubhouse and our roster right now.”
In other moves…
- The Giants and Mariners executed yet another trade following Saturday’s game, this time swapping hometown products — the fourth trade between the two clubs in the past month. San Francisco sent Triple-A utilityman Alex Blandino, a graduate of Stanford and Mountain View’s St. Francis High School, to Seattle in exchange for 26-year-old outfielder Stuart Fairchild. Fairchild, who was designated for assignment by the Mariners on Friday, grew up in Seattle rooting for the Mariners. He will report to Triple-A Sacramento. The Giants are Fairchild’s third organization this season, following stints in Arizona and Seattle, and he has posted solid numbers over his career at Triple-A: a batting line of .282/.382/.536 in 246 plate appearances.
