60.28 Blazers Swap Catchers with Jimmies

[Bob Breum]

It's no secret that Montreal's big league catching situation is out of sync with the rest of the squad. Calvin Johnson and Felipe Delgado share the catching duties. They are each 39 years old. Of the other twelve position players, only two are over 25. There are no obvious catchers-in-waiting in the minor leagues, either.

When Montreal saw Charm City's Jamie Behnke on the waiver wire, they pounced. He's a proven major league catcher with a championship ring to his credit. He has plus-plus framing skills, a quality that Montreal values. He possesses a plus hit tool and above average power.


Jamie Behnke
This season the 28-year-old Behnke is hitting .261/.270/.398 (76 OPS+) in 89 plate appearances. The Blazers plan to stash him in AAA for now. He has one minor league option remaining.

Héctor Vidro
To lock in the rights to Behnke, Montreal traded young catching prospect Héctor Vidro to Charm City. Vidro is 21 years old. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2059 amateur draft by Montreal. Like Behnke, Vidro also has plus-plus framing skill.

This season at Short Season A Nassau, Vidro is hitting .227/.318/.400 (102 OPS+).