Orioles claim catcher Cam Gallagher

[Moose Milligan]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Or we could have had Adley and Jonah Heim.

Check out that second link, it's a heck of a play.

Just had to have Steve Pearce, eh?  Pity.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

Just had to have Steve Pearce, eh?  Pity.

I pin that one on Buck.

 

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I pin that one on Buck.

 

You pin most everything on Buck.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

You pin most everything on Buck.

Naw, most folks will tell you I blame Elias for everything.

I'll tell you most of it is on ownership.

In that case I'm pretty sure Pearce was a Buck guy and Buck wanted him back.

But hey, that Wildcard game was great.

[Frobby]

12 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Or we could have had Adley and Jonah Heim.

Check out that second link, it's a heck of a play.

He’s not really a backup at this point.  He’s played 112 games.  But hey, those 5-6 weeks we got from Steve Pearce in exchange for Heim were really memorable.  

[eddie83]

22 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

If he walks, that's good enough.  As long as he's not making outs, I don't care if he doesn't have any pop.  I think we gotta get past the idea of having a backup catcher that can hit.  If that catcher could hit, he'd probably have a starting job somewhere.  If we have a good catcher who can block balls, call a good game and handle the staff and not be a complete liability with the bat, that's probably as good as it'll get.  

I’ve always felt this way. 

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

He’s not really a backup at this point.  He’s played 112 games.  But hey, those 5-6 weeks we got from Steve Pearce in exchange for Heim were really memorable.  

If he was under team control he'd be the backup.

Would keep Adley well rested.

[RZNJ]

How many people here would have been clamoring for Jonah Heim to come back as the backup after his .598 OPS last year?   I wonder.  

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

How many people here would have been clamoring for Jonah Heim to come back as the backup after his .598 OPS last year?   I wonder.  

I don't think anyone would have had an issue with keeping him as a backup making the minimum.

Unless you knew I had been against the Pearce trade that is...

Seriously, he was replacement level last year, who wouldn't take that for a backup catcher making the minimum?

Water under the bridge and all but yea, was a dumb trade.

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Can_of_corn

[RZNJ]

I think there are plenty of people on here who would have wanted an upgrade over that.    Robinson Chirinos is replacement level this year making 200K over minimum.   I get it.  25-26 year old vs. 38 year old.    Some people would have been fine with Heim.   Many would not have been.

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

How many people here would have been clamoring for Jonah Heim to come back as the backup after his .598 OPS last year?   I wonder.  

It’s a good question.  He was 56th in OPS among 68 catchers with 100+ PA, but he was 25th in fWAR due to his good defense.   He pretty much shared the catching duties for Texas with Jose Trevino (89 games, 302 PA for Trevino vs. 82 games, 285 PA for Heim).  
Off that performance I’d say he was an above average backup despite the low OPS.   But he’s certainly surpassed that this year.   

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I think there are plenty of people on here who would have wanted an upgrade over that.    Robinson Chirinos is replacement level this year making 200K over minimum.   I get it.  25-26 year old vs. 38 year old.    Some people would have been fine with Heim.   Many would not have been.

 

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It’s a good question.  He was 56th in OPS among 68 catchers with 100+ PA, but he was 25th in fWAR due to his good defense.   He pretty much shared the catching duties for Texas with Jose Trevino (89 games, 302 PA for Trevino vs. 82 games, 285 PA for Heim).  
Off that performance I’d say he was an above average backup despite the low OPS.   But he’s certainly surpassed that this year.   

Chirinos put up a .2 rWAR season in 2021.  Why would anyone even think that he'd be an upgrade worth signing?

I guess if you had put up a poll and asked folks do you want Heim at the minimum or Chirinos at 900K some folks would have picked Chirinos but to dump Heim?  I think it would have been a pretty small group.

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

 

Chirinos put up a .2 rWAR season in 2021.  Why would anyone even think that he'd be an upgrade worth signing?

I guess if you had put up a poll and asked folks do you want Heim at the minimum or Chirinos at 900K some folks would have picked Chirinos but to dump Heim?  I think it would have been a pretty small group.

I think you are probably right.  I was happy with Chirinos as a safer bet than Benboom/Nottingham, but if we had Heim in the fold I would probably have preferred him to Chirinos.   But it’s water way under the bridge.   Heim was traded in 2016.   He was traded two more times before he ever reached the majors.  

[RZNJ]

Speaking of Heim, he has an interesting career path.   He really didn't "learn" to hit until he was 24.   At the age of 23 (he was drafted at age 17) he was putting up a .472 OPS in AA and spent most of the year in A+.    All of a sudden in 2019, he OPS'd .801 in AA and over .900 in AAA.   Quite a career revival.   Good for him.   He's come a long way after looking like a non-prospect for most of his minor league career.   I remember liking the draft pick.   HS, switch hitting catcher who as 17 at the time of the draft.   It took him awhile but he made it.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

Speaking of Heim, he has an interesting career path.   He really didn't "learn" to hit until he was 24.   At the age of 23 (he was drafted at age 17) he was putting up a .472 OPS in AA and spent most of the year in A+.    All of a sudden in 2019, he OPS'd .801 in AA and over .900 in AAA.   Quite a career revival.   Good for him.   He's come a long way after looking like a non-prospect for most of his minor league career.   I remember liking the draft pick.   HS, switch hitting catcher who as 17 at the time of the draft.   It took him awhile but he made it.

I don't like giving up plus defense catchers.  To me they have value in the minors if nothing else.  I'd rather pitching prospects pitch to a guy behind the plate that can block and frame pitches.