Pick your 2014 starting catcher and contract

[leaffie]

Ugghh.....AJ's horrible derensively

 

Certainly better than JP. He is an experienced catcher, that frames pitches well, knows how to help his pitchers and has a BA of about .280 with 15 or so HR's. Won't cost as much as McCann, and won't need a long term contract.

[Cooler Heads Prevail]

CA, 2B, LF, SP there really can't be more then a few top notch free agents available and they'll probably sign whomever they find first. CA seems to be not too bad finding a decent defensive guy which might be what they need. I have a feeling though that they may actually spring a large trade in the off season that will shake up their strengths and weaknesses.

 

A lot depends on the availability of new SPs to the Jays. If they find somebody, perhaps a decent defensive player at 2B and CA is all they need. If they fail on the new SPs, well they can roll the dice on the comeback SPs and splurge on 1 or 2 big money positional improvements. These two scenarios are so wildly different its impossible to know what will actually occur.

 

Arencebia I think this will be his last year as a Jay. The plan is probably in place already.

[TheHurl]

McCann/Navarro straight platoon. Both will be overpaid, neither can run, are on the downside defensively but for the fans to discuss a 1.000 OPS catching platoon makes it both AA and the fans dreams (with the exception of the JPA fans) and sure to lead to a huge letdown.

 

Seriously though with AA's love of switch hitters and guys coming off of career years I bet he's linked to Navarro at some point in the off season.

[GD]

Seriously though with AA's love of switch hitters and guys coming off of career years I bet he's linked to Navarro at some point in the off season.

 

Navarro is what I'm expecting. He's not a bad option though tbh

[eastcoastjaysfan]

Hoe confident are you that AA sees C as a position that must be addressed?

 

Best we can hope for is that JP keeps breaking through mainstream statistical floors. BA almost below .200. SLG is currently below .400. If he really slumps down teh stretch it isn't out of the question to see him post a sub .200 OBP. (line of .173/.209/.318 in the 2nd half so far!)

 

Think about that. An OBP of .200 lol. How is that even possible. Probably won't happen though.

[Laika]

I don't think AA even looks at stats like OBP. He just gets scouting reports on his players.

 

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JPA

 

30 hit

30 run

40 defense

60 arm

70 power

 

Plus arm and plus-plus power. It doesn't even matter what he hits, you keep that type of catcher in your org, all day every day! There are less than five catchers in all of baseball with his type of raw power - he's a rare commodity and a gem.

 

- Signed, Perry Minasian.

Director, Pro Scouting

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[eastcoastjaysfan]

I don't think AA even looks at stats like OBP. He just gets scouting reports on his players.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

JPA

 

30 hit

30 run

40 defense

60 arm

70 power

 

Plus arm and plus-plus power. It doesn't even matter what he hits, you keep that type of catcher in your org, all day every day! There are less than five catchers in all of baseball with his type of raw power - he's a rare commodity and a gem.

 

- Signed, Perry Minasian.

Director, Pro Scouting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

6th best ISO for qualified catchers this year. Your sarcastic tone cannot defeat the facts!

[Laika]

6th best ISO for qualified catchers this year. Your sarcastic tone cannot defeat the facts!

 

Perry Minasian said "raw" power. Google it, flannel pants.

[leaffie]

Meh.....I'd rather McCaan or someone better defensively, I know his bat will be there, but i'd rather another alternative....I sure wouldn't complain. lol

 

I would rather have McCaan too, but doubt he is coming to TO. Plus, they should be using that money or trades to improve the pitching.

[jaysblue]

I've always been a fan of Salty, and he's having a solid year this season.

 

Jesus Flores would be a nice buy low option and depth in Buffalo, though he can't seem to stay healthy.

[GeorgiaPeach]

It would take the Brewers deciding to completely blow it up. I think they are trying to rebuild but, I think they hang on to Braun and Lucroy.

 

In terms of value if MIL does decide to field offers for him I'm thinking Stroman + Jimenez + their pick of Nolin/Hutch/Drabek might get it done.

 

I wouldn't do that.

[Cooler Heads Prevail]

Hoe confident are you that AA sees C as a position that must be addressed?

 

Maybe I'm wrong but I see Arencebia and Gibbons gone as step one in their off season plan. And if they don't get that done maybe AA gets fired

in a surprise move from the FO. I think even casual fans would accept either of these moves as a sincere attempt to improve the team. I know if I was

in FO I'd be seriously questioning AA if he really is 100% behind these two guys. Hopefully, its all just public relations before they move these guys out

in a professional manner.

[Ziggyy108]

I just don't see anyway that J.P. is the starting catcher next year.

 

We can only hope that Rogers is willing to go even higher with the payroll. Hopefully AA and Beeston can convince them.

[Pete_7]

One of the pro's of A.J. Pierzynski is he would probably tell everyone to f***off if they whined lol

[P2F]

How would Flores be as a backup? Is the defense good enough?

 

I feel like his bat still has some potential, if he can stay healthy.

 

Edit: I'm legitimately asking, as I have nary a clue how his defense is. I'm guessing average at best?

[wilko]

Yan Gomes.

[NacBomb]

Who here can tell what we would be looking at if we go the route of A.J. P? And what do you guys think he would be looking at in terms of cash? Same questions, but for McCann.

[ace3113]

No kidding, SP depth is what we need.

 

I think we're fine in terms of depth Spanky. We have plenty of quantity in terms of starting pitching, what we need is quality. Rotation spots 3-5 could be filled by some combination of the following. It's spot 1 and 2 we need to seriously improve.

 

Dickey

Buehrle

Morrow

Happ

Drabek

Romero

Rogers

Redmond

Hutchison

Stroman

Nolin

McGowan

Johnson*

[Abomination]

Buffalo is going to have one hell of a rotation next year. Good thing too, because they may not have any serviceable bats.

[ace3113]

Should have signed Russell Martin while we had the chance this past off season. He's done wonders for the Pirates 4.3 WAR so far and all for only 8.5mm per over 2 years. I remember about 70% of the board (maybe more) calling for this move last winter. Sigh.

[G-Snarls]

Should have signed Russell Martin while we had the chance this past off season. He's done wonders for the Pirates 4.3 WAR so far and all for only 8.5mm per over 2 years. I remember about 70% of the board (maybe more) calling for this move last winter. Sigh.

 

Yankees should have kept him...

[DuckDuckGose]

I wouldn't do that.

 

I somehow missed this at the time. I'm on the fence with that move. If you think Stroman is a legit front end starter, then there is no chance in hell I make that deal. If you think he ends up in the BP eventually then I make that deal in a second. I'm presonally leaning towards Stroman in the rotation but, there are some red flags.

[Boxcar]

We all know JP has to go. It's sad but it's plainly obvious. He's hurting this team. I can see AA keeping him as the backup and probably non-tendering Thole. I don't imagine has any trade value. Regardless, this is a pretty good year to pick up a free agent catcher. The large number available probably lowers the price too by simple supply and demand.

 

I think it's critical that whoever we sign be signed early in the off season, meet the picthers, review data and video this winter, and be there bright and early for pitchers and catchers report day in spring training to get a feel for our pitching staff.

 

From cot's, available free agent catchers this off season:

 

Rod Barajas

Henry Blanco

John Buck

Jesus Flores

Ramon Hernandez

Gerald Laird

Brian McCann

Jose Molina

Dioner Navarro

Wil Nieves

Miguel Olivo

Ronny Paulino

Brayan Pena

A.J. Pierzynski

Humberto Quintero

Carlos Ruiz

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Kelly Shoppach

Chris Snyder

Geovany Soto

Kurt Suzuki *

Yorvit Torrealba

 

Who's your pick?

 

Dioner Navarro has a 142 wRC+ this season as a backup-ish. Wonder if he'd come cheap, maybe he's having some kind of resurgence.

[ElNik2013]

I somehow missed this at the time. I'm on the fence with that move. If you think Stroman is a legit front end starter, then there is no chance in hell I make that deal. If you think he ends up in the BP eventually then I make that deal in a second. I'm presonally leaning towards Stroman in the rotation but, there are some red flags.

 

 

The proposed trade would also include one of Hutchison or Nolin which would mean trading 3 of the organization's not only top prospects, but 3 that should all start next year at AAA. I'd rather this team increase its payroll to plug holes, the farm can't afford anymore depleting unless it's for guys in their mid 20's. Just my .02

[G-Snarls]

The proposed trade would also include one of Hutchison or Nolin which would mean trading 3 of the organization's not only top prospects, but 3 that should all start next year at AAA. I'd rather this team increase its payroll to plug holes, the farm can't afford anymore depleting unless it's for guys in their mid 20's. Just my .02

 

Yeah. You can't rely solely on the trade route to build a contender. You generally have to pick up a free agent or two, costing no prospects, to complete a really good team. Otherwise you could easily deplete the entire farm.

[connorp]

Big pass on McCann. Not worth the big contract. Ruiz. His issues should really f up his contract demands.

[G-Snarls]

Big pass on McCann. Not worth the big contract. Ruiz. His issues should really f up his contract demands.

 

Doesn't sound like Phillies are keen on letting him walk though

[connorp]

Doesn't sound like Phillies are keen on letting him walk though

 

yeah, I havent seen but prob true.

[bendera3]

For what it's worth, Ruiz is incredibly popular here in Philly. It would be hard for the Phillies to let him go just on the PR aspect.

[GD]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/08/phillies-will-prioritize-catching-this-offseason.html

 

I think Ruiz would go if offered enough.