Caleb Joseph has Options

[weams]

Discuss.

Does he go to AAA and we try some other guys at the beginning of the season?

Do we trade for a starting catcher?

Do we look to improve our pitching with a better game caller?

[Redskins Rick]

Discuss.

Does he go to AAA and we try some other guys at the beginning of the season?

Do we trade for a starting catcher?

Do we look to improve our pitching with a better game caller?

I think Caleb is our best option on the roster, and the FAs like Salty are probably not an upgrade.

I do think he has earned the right to stay out of AAA.

IMO

[DrungoHazewood]

Discuss.

Does he go to AAA and we try some other guys at the beginning of the season?

Do we trade for a starting catcher?

Do we look to improve our pitching with a better game caller?

Caleb Joseph starts on opening day, spends the entire year on the roster as the primary starter. The O's acquire a reasonable backup to play 40ish games. Clevenger may or may not find himself on the roster as a kind of DH/1B/3rd catcher. Joseph only goes to AAA if he's playing exceptionally poorly, or they do a paper demotion for a few days to free up a spot during a roster crunch.

[Aristotelian]

They used him last year with Wieters available to be the primary catcher. I see no reason they would option him unless it is for a very temporary assignment in a roster crunch situation. With no Wieters, he is our primary catcher. The only other guy on the market this year who changes that is Wieters.

[waroriole]

Why would he go to AAA? I can't see us acquiring 1 C better than him, much less two.

[DrungoHazewood]

Why would he go to AAA? I can't see us acquiring 1 C better than him, much less two.

In 2014 he was a 28-year-old rookie who hit .207/.264/.354 and basically played his way into a starting gig on a division-winning team. I think he'd have to be hitting about .160 in mid-June to get sent down.

[LA2]

Joseph plays noticeably better when very well-rested and hits slightly better against LHP. Salty is the inferior catcher but bats much better against RHP (while being a switch-hitter). So I think they compement each other somewhat. In this scenario, Salty is not the "back-up catcher," but part of a platoon.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Joseph plays noticeably better when very well-rested and hits slightly better against LHP. Salty is the inferior catcher but bats much better against RHP (while being a switch-hitter). So I think they compement each other somewhat. In this scenario, Salty is not the "back-up catcher," but part of a platoon.

That could definitely be a price-efficient platoon.

[Dr. Unk]

Discuss.

Does he go to AAA and we try some other guys at the beginning of the season?

Do we trade for a starting catcher?

Do we look to improve our pitching with a better game caller?

He is a fine game caller. He will likely be our main catcher.

[wildcard]

The first thing that Buck looks at with at catcher is defense and game calling. Joseph is much better at both that Salty or Clevenger.

Salty is probably a run a game better than Clevenger defensively. That is why the O's may be interested in Salty.

Joseph hits lefties better than righties.

Salty hits righties better than lefties.

Clevenger is going have have a hard time keeping his spot on the 25 man roster if Salty is signed. The O's can find better DHs than CLevenger. Clevenger is out of options but he has never been outrighted. If he makes it through waivers he has to accept the assignment to Norfolk. I don't know if the O's would do that.

To answer the question: Joseph is the O's best catcher and is not going anywhere. His knowledge of the O's staff is very valuable. He will share time with another catcher. Its not a sure thing who that other catcher will be.

[Snutchy]

Caleb Joseph is your starting catcher. His game calling and defense is big league stuff. He does have some power. Whatever he produces with the bat is a bonus. He is a big league catcher.

[Ruzious]

Discuss.

Does he go to AAA and we try some other guys at the beginning of the season?

I can answer that in 3 letters and a questionmark.

Do we trade for a starting catcher?

I have a Salty answer for that.

Do we look to improve our pitching with a better game caller?

Correct me if I'm right, but I got the impression that Caleb's a better pitch-caller than Wieters. Wieters seemed to be over-rated in that area.

[El Gordo]

I can answer that in 3 letters and a questionmark.

I have a Salty answer for that.

Correct me if I'm right, but I got the impression that Caleb's a better pitch-caller than Wieters. Wieters seemed to be over-rated in that area.

Here's where I start. Buck is a really smart baseball guy. And he knows more about catchers and pitch calling than anyone here by miles. He clearly thinks Wieters is a very good pitcher handling catcher. No doubt Caleb is good , but if we could afford him, Buck would prefer Wieters. In Buck I trust.

[DrungoHazewood]

Salty is probably a run a game better than Clevenger defensively. That is why the O's may be interested in Salty.

Well that would explain their reluctance to play Clevenger behind the plate. I'd hadn't heard that the difference between Salty and Clevenger was greater than the difference between peak-age Babe Ruth and Cesar Izturis' offense, that's good to know.

[mdbdotcom]

Well that would explain their reluctance to play Clevenger behind the plate. I'd hadn't heard that the difference between Salty and Clevenger was greater than the difference between peak-age Babe Ruth and Cesar Izturis' offense, that's good to know.

Izturis had mad crazy secret power.