Are O's sending a Message?

[Night Owl]

Are the Orioles sending Matt Weiters a message with all the catchers they drafted?

[Can_of_corn]

No, these kids are years and years away if they make it at all. Pretty high attrition rate on HS catchers making it to MLB. Draft was deep in catchers so the O's stocked up.

[LayzieDES]

No, these kids are years and years away if they make it at all. Pretty high attrition rate on HS catchers making it to MLB. Draft was deep in catchers so the O's stocked up.

I think I saw it was something like only 20% of starters and backups in mlb were high school catchers .

[Can_of_corn]

I think I saw it was something like only 20% of starters and backups in mlb were high school catchers .

Pretty high percentage seem to be international players.

Without having the energy to look it up.

[LayzieDES]

Pretty high percentage seem to be international players.

Without having the energy to look it up.

Meh sounds about right...without looking it up either.

[eb45]

I think I saw it was something like only 20% of starters and backups in mlb were high school catchers .

High school catchers are risky to be sure, but one way to mitigate that risk is to draft a lot of them who are fairly highly regarded. Which can be done by, say, taking three in the first six rounds.

[indianstick]

No, they aren't sending a message to wieters. They are just addressing an organizational weakness. I think it makes sense to stack up on high school bats at a position like catcher, because if their bat develops through, they will find their position later on. The catchers we drafted so far are all athletes with their bat and arm strength as their best tools so they could either stay behind the plate, move to the outfield or a couple can either play first or third.

[weams]

Pitchers, Catchers, and Shortstops are always the best high school players.

[Frobby]

I don't think the O's were "sending a message," but it may be on their minds that the team may need a new catcher in a few years. I'll believe Rajisch that this was a catcher-rich draft, but drafting four in ten rounds (plus one extra pick) is pretty extraordinary.

It certainly sends a message to the other catchers in the minors!

[weams]

I don't think the O's were "sending a message," but it may be on their minds that the team may need a new catcher in a few years. I'll believe Rajisch that this was a catcher-rich draft, but drafting four in ten rounds (plus one extra pick) is pretty extraordinary.

It certainly sends a message to the other catchers in the minors!

Chris Robinson, Chris Snyder, Brian Ward, and Luis Martinez are the four top catchers in the Orioles Minors. It's time to upgrade that.