Jan
14
2011

Mets Sign Journeyman Catcher Raul Chavez

An article by Hojo's Mojo

The Mets have signed catcher Raul Chavez to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, the club announced on Friday.

Chavez, 37, played in the Blue Jays’ organization last season, batting .210 with 18 runs, 13 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs with Triple-A Las Vegas.

He last played in the Majors in 2009 with the Blue Jays, when he hit .258 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 51 games.

He’s played in parts of 11 big league seasons, starting in 1996 with the Expos, before later playing with the Mariners, Astros, Orioles, Pirates and Blue Jays. A Venezuela native, Chavez is a career .231 hitter with seven home runs and 65 RBIs in 263 games.

The Mets will need another catcher in addition to Josh Thole to start the season while Ronny Paulino rides out the remaining eight games of his 50-game PED suspension. The only other catcher the Mets had on their 40 man roster was Mike Nickeas.

I don’t believe the Mets will start the season with three catchers, so they could open the season with Thole and Chavez, and then call-up Paulino when he’s ready to return and send Chavez to Buffalo to make room for him.

He’s kind of a poor man’s Henry Blanco who had a career .654 OPS compared to a .570 OPS for Chavez, and defensively Blanco was also a little better across the board.

About the Author: Rob Johnson

8 Comments + Add Comment

Sean Kenny January 15, 2011 at 12:20 am

Nickeas is on the 40 man roster, so the job seems to be his.
- Jerry M January 15, 2011 at 1:36 pm
  
  I wonder if Nickeas could be taken off now if the Mets sign Young to a major league deal and need the spot. They still then would have an extra catcher if he was picked up by another team.
  - Sean Kenny January 15, 2011 at 4:16 pm
    
    …meh, idk. He could be picked up.
Bayonne Mets Fan January 15, 2011 at 1:48 am

May as well ask Mike Piazza if he’s not doing anything, I bet he can still put up better numbers than this guy but the problem is Piazza would command more money! lol
Harry C January 15, 2011 at 9:50 am

I hope t agee comes and explains the difference between Omar’s “horrible” minor league dsigns, and Alderson’s “horrible” minor league signs. Sounds like a poor man’s Blanco to the author. Its more like a poor man’s Robinson Cancel. Fact is t agee, every GM signs scores of these guys, and, unfortunately, they are all forced to call some of them at some point. Your blasting Omar for every one is unfair. And if you think its fair how did the Phillies win having to have another horrible Onar sign, Wilson Valdez accrue over 300 ABs last year.
kevin January 15, 2011 at 10:16 am

So far the three hitters we’ve gotten to bolster the team for 2011 are Hu, Harris and Chavez, and all have OPS under .600!!! WTF is going on??? These are the worst hitters Ive ever seen and they make Rod Barajas and Jeff Francoeur look like Johnny Bench and Stan Musial. These are unbelievably bad and unproductive hitters and I gotta say that I am very disappointed with the new GM’s player evaluation skills which make Omar Minaya look like a Mensa and thats not easy to do. Absolutely bad job.
Sean Kenny January 15, 2011 at 10:39 am

Chavez is gonna wind up as triple-A fodder. The Mets didn’t resign Omir Santos and Nickeas will be with the MLB squad for the duration of the Paulino signing.
Hitman January 15, 2011 at 6:39 pm

This signing really makes me wish that they would’ve went after Miguel Olivo like I wanted them to since the end of the season. I never liked the Paulino signing & this move makes me dislike it more. Olivo would’ve been better off being the defensive catcher, helping the Met pitchers like he has with Greinke & Jimenez the last few years.

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