Charm City 2063.4 - Heregger to Stay? Not Yet.

[DaveB]

Max Heregger Isn’t going to be on the top of anyone’s prospects list, but he’s slowly becoming on of the favorite prospects of the Charm City Jimmy Dias.

“When we signed Max last season we were just really looking to add some depth to the minor league roster. We had Tokimasa Yano entrenched as our starter behind the plate. The expectation was to have Edgardo Reyes develop in AAA until he was ready then have Reyes learn as the backup for at least a half year. We planned on having Joselito Hernandez serve as the backup until Reyes was ready” said Dias.

Dias continued “That unfortunately blew up when Yano went down early so our 4th string depth catcher Max Heregger made his big league debut just months after signing a minor league deal after leaving Sacramento as a minor league free agent. Max has worked very hard since being signed. He still has a large hill to climb to be a steady BBA player. We are asking him to continue to work so he can expand his role a bit more.”

Expand his role? How exactly? The Jimmies are sending Max to AAA, not to improve his work behind the plate, but to shag.

“I was a bit surprised by their request when they made it, but I’m willing to put in the work and anything that can make me more valuable is a plus. I’m disappointed to be heading to AAA , but excited to learn how to play a better outfield” said Heregger.

We spoke with an anonymous scout from the Frontier league who watched Max this spring “Look he’s not going to win a Yogi in the outfield, but I don’t see any reason he can’t be a serviceable outfielder. I’ve watched the Jimmies under their current management and they like having players who can bounce around the field and provide depth. We saw it with Jamie Behnke and it doesn’t surprise me to see them take this route with Heregger. Having a backup catcher who can serve as a 5th OF can help ease a roster crunch and also help out quite a bit in a pinch”.

The issue with Heregger getting a steady gig with Charm City is going to be difficult. Beyond Reyes and Hernandez, the Jimmies have Todd Early in AA. Reports are that management feels like he’s the backup catcher of the future. They also have Sarsour Abdul-Sabur among others deep in the system.

“I know if I want to stand out and make the Jimmies I’ve got to do whatever it takes. I’m excited for the work to be done and hopefully it’ll push me into a gig or make me more appealing to other teams. My ultimate goal is to grab a permanent job with the Jimmies” said Heregger.

[BaseClogger]

Looks like you could always move Early to the outfield too.