Orioles Searching Outside Organization for Backup C (per Roch)

[Frobby]

I meant for the third catcher to be him, not for the existence of a third catcher in camp.

OK, that makes sense.

[PaulFolk]

Buck is using his catchers a lot this ST and more while Wieters rested his rolled ankle. I have heard several national writers in the last two weeks say Wieters is gone. I think they will trade him possibly before the season starts or by the trade deadline this summer. I think Clevenger and joseph both look okay behind the plate and calling pitches. I still think his replacement will be part of the package coming back to us in a trade for him.

You think the Orioles will trade Wieters before the season starts? When was the last time a player of his caliber was traded a week before the season begins?

[MurphDogg]

You think the Orioles will trade Wieters before the season starts? When was the last time a player of his caliber was traded a week before the season begins?

Especially a catcher. With the value the Orioles seem to place on defense and knowledge of the pitching staff, a Wieters trade right before or during the season would appear to be out of the question.

[Enjoy Terror]

Ramon Hernandez is available now after a mighty fine spring. Terrible with the bat, but still has it defensively. Wonder if his ties here would give him more consideration?

[Enjoy Terror]

Not according Fangraphs:

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=918&position=C

They have him rated as an above average defensive catcher almost every year he's played.

[CA-ORIOLE]

WHAT?! That's the reason we sent him packing. He's absolutely terrible defensively. He's the laziest defensive catcher I've ever seen. His only tool is his bat, which is no longer a tool. So he's a zero tool player.

I think he got that lazy rep for not blocking the plate. Walking after passed balls is an exaggeration. He was actually pretty active behind the plate. He was a very highly regarded defensive catcher with San Diego and Oakland before we got him. I haven't followed him much in CIN.

[Frobby]

I think he got that lazy rep for not blocking the plate. Walking after passed balls is an exaggeration. He was actually pretty active behind the plate. He was a very highly regarded defensive catcher with San Diego and Oakland before we got him. I haven't followed him much in CIN.

I thought Ramon was pretty good for us defensively in his first season, but went rapidly downhill. In particular, he was very squirmy while the pitcher was going into his motion, making it hard to follow the target, and he was very lazy at blocking pitches. In his three years for us, he had 32 passed balls and allowed 120 wild pitches. By comparison, in the last three seasons, Wieters has allowed 11 passed balls and 80 wild pitches, in about 412 more innings behind the dish. Hernandez also allowed 99 stolen bases in his final season for us, throwing out only 20% of runners. He did better for Cincinnati, playing a lot less.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I recall watching him stroll leisurely after a ball that he did not catch. I remember it vividly. He also didn't block the plate. And I'm sure he's much of a pitch caller, either. I just don't buy any metric that says Ramon Freaking Hernandez approaches anything resembling passable defensively. I just don't. He stinks out loud.

Yeah, i don't recall that. Again i think not blocking the plate was the main thing that peed people off. In hindsight he was probably ahead of the times and managed a pretty long career. Metrics asid he was highly regarded defensive catcher in San Diego and OAK. I recall this very well. He's actually pretty active behind the plate. Somehow he managed pretty good pitching staffs over his career other than ours.

[Satyr3206]

I recall watching him stroll leisurely after a ball that he did not catch. I remember it vividly. He also didn't block the plate. And I'm sure he's much of a pitch caller, either. I just don't buy any metric that says Ramon Freaking Hernandez approaches anything resembling passable defensively. I just don't. He stinks out loud.

I agree and remember it almost exactly the way you do. He was a terrible defensive catcher with no hustle. Another example of why I put very little stock in defensive metrics.

[xian4]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Another injury hit to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Rangers&src=hash">#Rangers</a>: Catcher Geovany Soto out 10-12 weeks with torn meniscus | <a href="http://t.co/UBiBe5z5Kh">http://t.co/UBiBe5z5Kh</a> +<a href="https://twitter.com/startelegram">@startelegram</a></p>— Drew Davison (@drewdavison) <a href="

">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[weams]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>After injury for the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Rangers&src=hash">#Rangers</a>, who lose Geovany Soto for three months <a href="http://t.co/jOFxYz3vny">http://t.co/jOFxYz3vny</a></p>— HardballTalk (@HardballTalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardballTalk/statuses/448131212792455168">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Soto out for 3 months. Another trade possibility. Or competition for available catchers.

[weams]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Another injury hit to <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Rangers&src=hash">#Rangers</a>: Catcher Geovany Soto out 10-12 weeks with torn meniscus | <a href="http://t.co/UBiBe5z5Kh">http://t.co/UBiBe5z5Kh</a> +<a href="https://twitter.com/startelegram">@startelegram</a></p>? Drew Davison (@drewdavison) <a href="

">March 24, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Yeah. This could make things interesting.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I thought Ramon was pretty good for us defensively in his first season, but went rapidly downhill. In particular, he was very squirmy while the pitcher was going into his motion, making it hard to follow the target, and he was very lazy at blocking pitches. In his three years for us, he had 32 passed balls and allowed 120 wild pitches. By comparison, in the last three seasons, Wieters has allowed 11 passed balls and 80 wild pitches, in about 412 more innings behind the dish. Hernandez also allowed 99 stolen bases in his final season for us, throwing out only 20% of runners. He did better for Cincinnati, playing a lot less.

Well age does catch up with some of these guys catching. One reason I don't like long term high dollar extensions for 30ish catchers. Also you need to consider the pitching staff on wp's and passed balls. Especially wp's.

[Frobby]

Boom. He's bad. Confirmed.

He's also 38 years old and played only 17 games last season.

[Frobby]

Well age does catch up with some of these guys catching. One reason I don't like long term high dollar extensions for 30ish catchers. Also you need to consider the pitching staff on wp's and passed balls. Especially wp's.

I realize that a catcher doesn't completely control WP's or even PB's. Those teams also walked a ton of batters (2nd, 1st and 1st in most walks allowed in the AL) so it can be inferred that there were more errant pitches to try to block.