45.1 Checking the Locks: Catcher

[crobillard]

That time of the year again. Little late this time because of the holiday season. No time to waste. Let's go.

This is a series where I will evaluate the options in each position leading into Spring Training. This is the first of eleven parts. I will be taking a look into the catcher position in this post.

Sure fire locks: Rainer Scheffer
Near lock: Juan Colon
Trying to get in the door: Pablo Espinoza

Scheffer was acquired three seasons ago from Montreal and Edmonton hasn't looked back since. It hasn't always been pretty, but last season Edmonton finally saw a glimpse of the catcher they hoped they were getting in that original deal. He was good for a 2.8 WAR in 2044 after only totaling 3.0 WAR collectively in 2042 and 2043. He also appeared in more games healthy than he ever has before. However, it was only 119 games, so we're not talking about an injury-free season here. We also might have tried to showcase David Katzenbogen in a few sims to try to make him more marketable. I loved having him and I wanted to get him extended, but in the end I decided to make a decisive shift to someone younger and allow Katzenbogen the opportunity to start somewhere else. He continues his career in Portland now.

New on the scene is Juan Colon. He has had some brief periods in the majors over the past couple seasons covering for injuries and due to his better offensive output he will be replacing Katzenbogen as the backup to Scheffer. The decision to move on from Katzenbogen is likely due to the dependence to lean on a catcher that can start more than half the season as Scheffer's prone to injuries that keep him out for long periods of time. Colon isn't anything special at 6/8/5/6/6 ratings and a 8 rating at catcher with a 9 ability and 5 arm, so if Colon performs really poorly in spring training it will be interesting to see if someone else can rise from the pack.

Right before this article, Edmonton traded Troy Price which probably suggests they feel comfortable with what they have at catcher. The safety net will be durable catcher Pablo Espinoza. With 5/7/4/6/5 ratings, it's less likely he will overtake Colon for the backup slot, but as a lefty hitter with 6/8/4/6/6 ratings, it's not out of the question to see Espinoza get the call, but there are likely several prerequisites for that happening. He will be looking to show Edmonton that he can handle the backup position should anything happen.