Nick Hundley for Troy Patton

[weams]

It seemed like you were suggesting that Grandal was affecting his playing time this year. That's why I found it confusing. But thanks for letting me have the chance to know what you knew and I will ignore it so that others who did not have the chance to know it may know it too.

There you go!

[Old#5fan]

A good move considering the fact that we need one.

Yeah, we have one who can hit and not catch all that well, and one who can catch well but can't hit a lick. I agree, good move.

[weams]

Yeah, we have one who can hit and not catch all that well, and one who can catch well but can't hit a lick. I agree, good move.

I'm not sure we had one that was defensively a major leaguer.

[Prayin4Reign]

Sounds like a good move, for Caleb's sake I was hoping he could last a bit longer. MLB players need 43 days in the bigs to qualify for the lifetime pension plan.

http://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-nhl-nba-mlb-retirement-pension-plans-lockout-2011-1

[waroriole]

I'm not sure we had one that was defensively a major leaguer.

Really? I thought Joseph was solid defensively.

[Can_of_corn]

Really? I thought Joseph was solid defensively.

They don't move you off of being a primary catcher to being a utility guy in the minors if you have the chops to be a solid MLB catcher defensively.

[CA-ORIOLE]

They don't move you off of being a primary catcher to being a utility guy in the minors if you have the chops to be a solid MLB catcher defensively.

Everything I have heard was that his catching skills have been improving significantly. One of the reasons he was brought up.

[Pickles]

This is a solid move. I like it.

[Can_of_corn]

Everything I have heard was that his catching skills have been improving significantly. One of the reasons he was brought up.

Only 64 of his 135 games at Bowie last season were at Catcher.

[weams]

Really? I thought Joseph was solid defensively.

He is much better than he was. I would not call him a major league defensive catcher. Maybe a back up.

[weams]

Everything I have heard was that his catching skills have been improving significantly. One of the reasons he was brought up.

VERY VERY very true. But not to MLB level in my opinion.

[CA-ORIOLE]

VERY VERY very true. But not to MLB level in my opinion.

Well, I'm not sure anybody considered him a primary starting catcher. More of a backup/platoon guy. He seemed ok to me.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Listening to MLBN radio just now and there is some discussion about the catchers tipping pitches.

[weams]

Well, I'm not sure anybody considered him a primary starting catcher. More of a backup/platoon guy. He seemed ok to me.

Fair enough.

[ShaneDawg85]

I like the trade on its own, but people really overrate the catchers throwing out base runners. If the pitchers didn't allow so many hits and kept guys off the bases themselves, or if the defense (Flaherty) actually fielded balls that they're supposed to, then it wouldn't be as big of an "issue."

As for Patton, he was a serviceable reliever for a few years, but with the suspension there really wasn't a place for him anymore and they've had successful spots from a variety of different relievers so far, even the one's who got sent down or for whom success didn't last. He never seemed quite as good as he was prior to that injury in 2012, but a 3.0 WAR between 2011 and now from a reliever, primarily a specialist, I'd say we got about as much production out of him as we could have hoped.