SAN FRANCISCO -- Andrew Knizner has only been a Giant for two games, but he arrived with previous ties to their starting catcher and the former catcher who now runs the organization. Knizner admits, though, that Patrick Bailey and Buster Posey might not be fully aware of those prior experiences.
Knizner went into North Carolina State as a shortstop and played third base as a freshman because Trea Turner was locked in at short, but after that season, he transitioned to catching. He eventually was represented by CAA agents Andrew Nacario and Jeff Berry, the latter of whom also represented Posey and now serves as an advisor to the president of baseball operations. As a young Knizner tried to figure out how to move from infielder to catcher, he was given drills and advice from Berry, who picked Posey's mind on the subject.
Knizner now finds himself backing up Bailey, a fellow NC State alum. While they never played together, Knizner -- who is four years older -- was well aware of Bailey's collegiate career. One of his former coaches once teased him by saying, "We finally have a great defensive catcher coming into the program. Patrick Bailey is the best defensive player in the country."
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SIGN UP HERE "I laid all the groundwork for him," a smiling Knizner said Thursday morning. "I showed him what not to do at NC State."
Knizner was one of three newcomers during Wednesday's roster shakeup and started behind the plate a day later. As he walked around the clubhouse in the morning and chatted with teammates, team employees and reporters, it was easy to see why he was added to the mix. In a lot of ways, he is reminiscent of former Giants backup catcher Nick Hundley, who still is close with Posey.
Knizner considers communication one of his strengths, and it stood out to manager Bob Melvin that he caught bullpen sessions on his first day and then went out to warm up all of Wednesday night's relievers so he could get an early look at how the ball came out of their hands. The job, though, requires more than that, and the Giants are hopeful Knizner can bring a spark at the plate, too.
Knizner was released by the Washington Nationals earlier this season because he had an opt-out date approaching in his minor league contract. The Giants were one of the first teams to call, and he posted a .500 on-base percentage and six doubles in eight games with Triple-A Sacramento. The veteran also has a solid reputation as a defender and game-caller.
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"He's very invested in what he's doing behind the plate, and that's important here," Melvin said. "It's important to Buster, it's important to us, that the catcher, first and foremost, is engaged with the pitching staff and all about winning a game."
Knizner came to the Giants with 290 games of big league experience, nearly all of them with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he learned from Yadi Molina. He has a .210 average and .596 OPS in the big leagues, but he's just two years removed from hitting 10 homers in 70 appearances. On Thursday, he was 0-for-3 but looked comfortable with Robbie Ray, who threw seven strong innings.
"I feel like we had a really good game plan going in today and I felt like he stuck with it really well," Ray said. "We had some moments where he called a pitch and it was exactly what I wanted to throw. It was almost like he had been here the whole time. I felt, overall, it was a great performance by him behind the plate."
Ray essentially had Sam Huff as his personal catcher the last two months, but the first day with the new guy was smooth, which was no surprise to Knizner. He said before the game that he doesn't anticipate needing much time to learn a new staff. Since the start of 2024, he has played for Triple-A teams in four different organizations, along with big league time with the Texas Rangers and a stint in the Dominican Winter League.
"I've gotten used to it over the last 12 months or so," Knizner said.