Jesus Takes The Wheel
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a deep-dive into the organization, so I figured “why not?” So, with little fanfare, let me get straight to the meat, focusing first on the catcher role.
| 2042 | Player | Age | B | OVR | HITTING | AB/ARM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBA | Jesus Rodriguez | 22 | L | 55/55 | 6/7/5/7/6 | 10/8 - |
| AAA | Bruce McKinley | 20 | R | 35/60 | 5/8/6/6/5 | 11/6 - |
| AAA | Augusto Vargas | 22 | L | 35/45 | 5/5/4/3/7 | 7/7 - |
| A | Esteban Martinez | 20 | R | 25/40 | 5/7/5/3/7 | 5/5 - |
| AA | Marcos Abalos | 21 | R | 25/40 | 4/5/4/6/5 | 7/8 - |
| AA | Carl Rivera | 20 | R | 25/40 | 4/5/4/5/5 | 8/7 - |
For nearly the last decade, the Nine have always had a veteran presence behind the plate. First it was Aaron Stone, then last year saw Luis Barrera step in. Both were superior bats, but at best league average behind the plate (and, let’s face it, Stone was only league average on his very best days).
2042 will see a changing of the guard that the club has been promising since they drafted LHB Jesus Rodriguez. Technically that started late last year, but who’s really counting. Scouts say J0Rod has the stick to be productive, but the real charm he’ll bring is an ability to handle pitching staffs and excel at receiving. “The kid was born to catch,” one scout said.
If there’s anyone who is more like that, however, it would be the #2 guy on the list, Bruce McKinley—a guy who has often been on the front end of trade offers the Nine have been fielding, but who the team hasn’t been inclined to move. This is because the plan has been to see McKinley join Rodriguez later this season—or possibly as late as next year, hence creating a bit of a stagger in the pipeline. McKinley isn’t really ready yet, so the plan looks like it’s on track.
Expect Augusto Vargas to be Rodriguez’s back-up until McKinley is ready. He’s almost workable, and with a bit of a bump, could become a reasonable trade chip. No one else is really close at this point, but Martinez, Abalos, and Rivera are interesting—Abalos and Rivera in particular, assuming they improve their bats at all.
