Who can catch?

[English Red Sox]

Help a Guy out from England here,

just what catchers are/might be available?

 

and

isn't Tim Wakefield just about done now, what with the whole catching a knuckle baller thing

 

Rob

[BSN07]

Brown and Kottraras both could produce atleast as much as Tek did at the plate last season.

 

The best Catching prospects are Esposito and Wagner. But both are a few years away and no sure things.

 

The FA market is horrible for Catchers. They have been said to have talked to Josh Bards representation.

 

There a multiple propect Catchers of note that could be had at the right price. All of them will cost atleast 1 SP prospect.

 

 

Then theres Tek. If he will settle on 2 years with less of an AVV, he will probably be back in Boston.

 

 

The KNuckleball is hard to catch because it is very unpredictable. It has lots of late movement when thrown correctly. Unless you have ever seen one, it is hard to explain the way it looks while trying to catch it.

 

Welcome to Talksox:thumbsup:

[Cocos Disciples]

a) Just look at the post above me.

 

He's not done. Cash came in last year and caught him well, which tells me that the relation he had with Mirabelli was overrated. With some ST practice I think anyone can catch him. Maybe not well, but solidly.

 

Welcome to the site!

[English Red Sox]

Thanks for that chaps.(and the welcome)

 

I'll go and study them now. I'm encouraged by your comments re TW. I think it is the '08 W-L that spooks me.

 

Rob

[Dojji]

Here's some useful links, ERS.

 

This will help you with internal options within the Sox system

 

http://www.soxprospects.com/org.htm

 

And this is the best link to look for who might be available on the free agent market.

 

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/

 

Good source of stats that includes minor league numbers

 

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/

[English Red Sox]

Thanks for those. They are good, I hadn't come across them before. It's pretty hard to follow all the info with no one to talk to in real time

 

Rob

[Dojji]

Been there. I'm the only passionate Red Sox fan in my family and one of only two who give a crap about baseball at all.

[BSN07]

I hope you don't find this rude Rob. But I think it's safe to say you don't have to leave your name at the bottom of your post. But hey if you want to its all good.

[English Red Sox]

No that's cool, thanks for the advice. I've always tended to do that. Do you think it'll get me grief over there?

 

X

[Gom]

This guy is a cigarette.

[Keeper]

What's the status on Ryan Doumit? Is he available? If not, when will he be available?

[BSN07]

He's not available FA wise. the Pirates haven't extended him long term yet either. He could be in the name of hats Theo is looking threw for a catcher to trade for.

[Dipre]

He's not available FA wise. the Pirates haven't extended him long term yet either. He could be in the name of hats Theo is looking threw for a catcher to trade for.

 

As much as i would love that, i don't see the Pirates trading Doumit.

[Cocos Disciples]

I would expect him to be extremely pricy.

[BSN07]

Ya I agree. He's produced nicely from the Catchers spot, in a extremely feeble lineup.

[Dojji]

The Pirates except to make out like, well, pirates on a Doumit trad

[mvp 78]

As much as i would love that' date=' i don't see the Pirates trading Doumit.[/quote']

 

why not? they trade everyone else.

[English Red Sox]

If the Tex thing doesn't happen now, as seems likely, would we be able to flash some cash around to get someone we want in the catcher role?

[Cocos Disciples]

The FA is thin (read: non-existant) for catchers. I would expect a trade if we get someone externally.

[Dojji]

I don't see a FA who would definitely be better than Kottaras.

 

Not wild about going into the season with 2 rookie catchers but if you can't steal a gem, I'm not too scared to go to Kottaras.

[TheKilo]

LOL KENJI JOHJIMA

[jacksonianmarch]

why not? they trade everyone else.

 

they are about to finalize a long term deal with Doumit. He goes nowhere

[Cocos Disciples]

LOL KENJI JOHJIMA

 

Intangibles! Knows how to play the game!

[TheKilo]

Will make Dice-K happy!

[Cocos Disciples]

We can save money by firing the interpreter, therefore is good for the franchise!

[example1]

I know we've been joking about Johjima, but I actually think he would bean okay option. My sense is that we end up with Varitek again, but Johjima would be a suitable second plan.

[Dojji]

You laugh, but what the heck is wrong with making the move to scoop up a guy at the lowest point of his value?

 

You pick up Johjima in the hopes that he returns to '06-'07 production with a combination of better protection and a chance to play relevant baseball again, which would make him a Mike Lowell type theft. It's a big-market move to secure at least one veteran for our two catching slots. Johjima has to be available too, because Seattle's going nowhere and Clement is their future at catcher.

 

There are other moves that have more upside, but the most practical way to fill the catcher's spot at a low cost in talent is Johjima, unless you really are that eager to see Kottaras for 400 AB's.

[TheKilo]

And what happens when Johjima repeats his 2008 season and we're on the hook for the rest of his contract (3/24)?

[diony]

I think every Ms pitcher hates Johjima for a reason. I can't imagine the Red Sox's without Tek leading that young staff.

 

And about Johjima's 2008 season it was a big fluke, everyone expect him to bounce back, including the Ms. If Theo can land him as a salary dump move, it'll be a complete steal. A few points:

 

1) Johjima's BABIP was .233 after putting a .291 BABIP in 2007, that is unsustainably low.

 

2) He only struck out 33 times, while his contact% was 88%, means this guy puts a lot of balls in play, but he was unlucky.

 

3) His LD% was a career high of 21.1%, 1% higher than 2007's. Which means he was hitting the ball better.

 

Bill James projected him with a solid .265/.319/.408, for $6 million. The Red Sox can live with that for 2 years. Without giving Bucholz, Bowden or Masterson.

 

I rather give a 18/2 to Tek, but that's just me.

[ORS]

I have no problem with them picking up Johjima. They do need to address finding a starting catcher. I only joke about him because when posed with the question of what they ought to be doing rather than pursuing Teixeira, Dojji suggested their time would be better spent going after a catcher and threw Johjima's name in there.

 

David Ross is the only free agent catcher to have signed. If the M's are interested in trading Johjima, they'll likely wait until the market clears a little. Yeah, you can probably get them to jump with a good offer, but that means you don't take advantage of his current depressed value. There's ample time to address those other needs after the Teixeira market closes.