10
2012
The High Cost Of Catching
An article by Hojo's Mojo
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says that while the Mets and Red Sox had not engaged in discussions about catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, he ponders whether the two would match up for a deal now that they have signed free agent catcher David Ross.
It’s not a bad idea, but Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox do not view Ross as an everyday catcher and would most likely serve as Saltalamacchia’s backup.
In 121 games for the Red Sox in 2012, Saltalamacchia batted just .221 last season, but he did connect for 25 home runs and posted an impressive .454 slugging last season in 448 plate appearances. The 27 year old backstop is arbitration eligible again after signing a $2.5 million contract in his first year of arbitration eligibility last year.
Ross, on the other hand, illustrates a point I made in a previous post this morning about the premium being placed on catchers because there are so few to go around. The former Braves catcher signed a two year, $6.2 million dollar deal to serve in a mostly backup role as he did with Atlanta last season. Ross has not had more than 200 plate appearances since the 2007 season.
This morning I wrote:
I keep hearing many Mets fans mentioning the name of Blue Jays elite catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud as a potential target for the team. But they have as much inclination to trade their top prospect as we do Zack Wheeler, so unless we’re talking a swap of top prospects, it is unrealistic to view him as someone the Mets could potentially go after.
Any team that has a solid catcher that they are willing to trade, fully understand the scarcity of quality at that position and would demand a premium in return, and rightfully so. We would do the same in their position.
Today’s events clearly show why the Mets decided to re-sign Mike Nickeas, and why Sandy Alderson said that Josh Thole will be back next season as well. There’s a high cost to be paid for catching whether it’s in dollars for a free agent, or high end prospects or top major leaguers in a trade.
About the Author: Rob Johnson
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Blue Jays have four catchers on the 40-man roster (all right handed) with pickup of Bobby Wilson. If not d’Arnaud, perhaps Arencibia could be targeted?
Your insights are among the best from the Mets sites I frequent the most. Getting a catcher will prove costly for the Mets if they are looking to upgrade. I bet they’ll settle for the next Paulino, May or Shoppach and nothing more.
Arencibia is garbage.
And yes, its time for everyone to put to rest the d’Arnaud fantasy. I agree….he would be awesome in blue and orange. But there’s almost no way Toronto will trade him.
Salty is a decent idea. An ISO of over 200 is very impressive.
If it were me, I would try to offer Niese, Flores and Valdespin to Cleveland for Carlos Santana.
Sounds exactly like the proposal I made in the Choo article.
Wouldn’t mind if they managed to get Perez, Cabrera and McAllister too. I wouldn’t say Arencibia’s garbage. His excessive free swinging is a problem, but he’d make a solid defensive backup with the strides he made this past season.
I could see Arencibia as a backup – but nothing else.
Yeah, it does seem like Cleveland and the Mets could match up. But Sandy would have to get off his ass. He never appears very proactive.
Arencibia is a starter. It’s very hard to find a catcher with his kind of power potential, and like Hitman said, he’s made strides on defense. I’d like to see the Mets target him.
Vinny, to me, he’s not a starter, just a defensive backup with tremendous power. Maybe he can prove me wrong in the future, but now? No. Outside of the pop he has, along with the ability to hit in the clutch, it’s nothing to write home about. There’s something that needs to be said when you can’t hit for average and your SO/BB ratio is horrible (I don’t care if you’re a traditionalist or saber, 108 Ks and 18 BBs in a season is UGLY.)
Now that I think about it, couldn’t the Mets just get them both (Santana/Arencibia) as the catching core?
J.P isn’t a perfect player, but he has a lot of potential. He was rated the 43rd best prospect in 09 by BA, and has only played two seasons in the majors. .He is going into the prime of his career this season. I think a ,240 avearge, 30HR, and 90 RBI, are realistic numbers that he can put up.
There’s risk involved with him, but I think his potential is worth it. The Mets will be buying low on a very good talent……And at the very least, he”ll be an upgrade over Thole.
Do you think it’s possible he can show up on an offensive front the way his teammate Jose Bautista did?
I don’t fully understand your question. How is Bautsita relevant to this discussion?
I think he means could JP come out of nowhere like Bautista did.
I’m referring to how Bautista was in the same position as Arencibia (couldn’t hit for average) until a few seasons ago. Could Arencibia perhaps need a few tweaks in his stance or something new when it comes to timing so he’d add another tool to his game (hit for average) next to hitting for power and defense?
Oh, okay, that’s what I thought you meant, but I wasn’t sure.
I don’t think he’ll ever be a high average hitter, since he’s always been a free swinging power hitter – That’s just his style, and that will probably never change.
However, the power he has is rare for a catcher. He has the 6th most homeruns among catchers in the last two years. So, he’s young, his defensive skills are improving, he has a cannon arm behind the plate, and has great power for a catcher, which could even increase as he gains more experience…….In my mind, that outwieghs a low average and a low OBP.
Arenciba is a DH on any team that has a half-decent catcher behind the plate.
It’s hard to play a game without a catcher, so the Mets will need to sign two regardless. Since they play in the majors, and in the largest market in the majors, they should really find someone with major league capabilities. The cost is what it is, enough belly-aching. If Thole returns, it needs to be as the left-handed part of a platoon and/or RA’s personal catcher. That would make snese, but not to play 120 games.
The answer to the mets problem at catcher = Juan Centeno
Of course it is. LOL!
Is it true they call One-Cent for short?
Lol because thats about how much value he brings to the table
One Cent 0 >>>> the worthless catchers in our org
Indictment on the catchers, not a boon for JC.
Throwing out over 40% of base-runners…being praised for your glove…while hitting .300 or close to it = boon for JC
He’s not the answer to the Mets catching problems(at least not right now anyway), but he’s not worthless either. If his bat continues to develop, he has a chance to be a decent starter in the future, or he could he could be a solid backup.
Since Boston picked up David Ross, maybe Ryan Lavarnway might be available. A Lucas Duda (1st base) for Lavarnway is a start of a multi player trade.