ESPN

When the Giants continued their youth movement by promoting three players from the minor leagues last week, the most intriguing name of the trio was catcher Pablo Sandoval.

I profiled Sandoval briefly in my Futures Game recap -- he played first base in the game -- and wrote about his hand-eye coordination, raw pop and plate coverage. The switch-hitter has a smooth, consistent stroke from both sides. He's a bit of a free swinger but covers the plate well and has done a better job of translating his batting-practice power to games this season.

Although Sandoval has played the corner-infield spots in the past, the 22-year-old began the year in Class A ball to work with manager Steve Decker, a former big league catcher. He can be a very useful offensive catcher if his weight doesn't cause any problems with his catch-and-throw skills. For a while he was listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds even though he clearly was much bigger than that. In fact, my guess is that he's about 250 right now, so his future is likely behind the dish, but he could spot start at first base in a pinch.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider