2nd Catcher Upgrade Needed

[sportsfan8703]

We were 60-47 in games Adley started. 23-32 when he didn’t start. 
 

We can talk about bringing in Yada Yada FA SP all day, but the difference in making the playoffs was that. It’s simple but telling. 
 

Notice I worded 2nd Catcher and not Backup Catcher. Adley is obviously a full time catcher, but I’d like to see us acquire a catcher that would free Adley up to play some 1B as well. Thus, making our whole team more versatile. 
 

Free Agent Options: Contreres, Perez, Sanchez, Vasquez, and Navarro. 
 

I won’t get into the speculative trade market, but feel free to. I think Wilson Contreras from the Cubs is a great fit. I wouldn’t even look at is as buying just a big FA C, I would view it as buying a big time 1B for 30-40 games(Adley). Contreras would also help us vs LHP that really killed us this year. 

What would a contract look like?  Would we lose a draft pick?

I don’t really see our in house catching options closing that W/L gap. 
 

Thoughts?

[Sports Guy]

This should be very low on the priority list.

[sportsfan8703]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

This should be very low on the priority list.

Like Benboom/Chirinos low?  Like those games started by them couldn’t have been the four games that cost us a playoff bid. 

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Like Benboom/Chirinos low?  Like those games started by them couldn’t have been the four games that cost us a playoff bid. 

Saying we would win those games if a better catcher is back there is just wrong.  A new back up catcher isn’t the difference between winning 4 or more games than we did.

The Os just need to improve the team in a lot of areas and many of them are more important than back up C.

[clapdiddy]

I agree that this should happen, but like SG said, it should be a lower priority.  If you upgrade the positions that need upgrading other than catcher, it will have a bigger impact.    I would guess that Adley catches 130 games next season, so the need for the backup catcher upgrade will be negligible.

 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, clapdiddy said:

I agree that this should happen, but like SG said, it should be a lower priority.  If you upgrade the positions that need upgrading other than catcher, it will have a bigger impact.    I would guess that Adley catches 130 games next season, so the need for the backup catcher upgrade will be negligible.

 

Adley might end up with 130 games played at catcher but I don't think he starts more than about 120.

[sportsfan8703]

With signing Contreras we wouldn’t just be signing a 2nd catcher, we also be buying Adley at 1B some, good quality versatility at C, 1B, and DH, a RH bat that we desperately need(MOO), and if there is a draft pick loss it would be nominal compared to players we’d have to give up in a trade. And you get to manage Adley’s workload. I want that guys bat in the lineup, and fresh, as much as possible. 
 

Long story short… we’d add Quality versatility, a RH bat, and more of AR to the lineup. All while only maybe surrendering a draft pick(?), and not having to make a trade. To me that’s worth a lot. Fixes lots of needs and not just catcher. 

[Just Regular]

Looks like Adley pulled 84 C and 23 DH starts in Year 1.     

I feel the 1B thing in the minors was just to keep his blood moving, and feel asking him to do the Scott Hatteberg things would be a waste of his valuable energies.    Take care of 20 pitchers, menace another 200 pitchers - seems like enough.    I don't believe Posey would have compiled the career 1B games he did if his league had the DH.

One of my 2023 Mountcastle hopes is now with a couple hundred games of 1B under his belt, his practice of defending that position can enter the MLB upper echelon.    Only ballplayers who hit well enough get that quantity of reps, and it takes time to do those 10000 hours of practice.    It feels odd to type, but even as the Hits come and go, Mountcastle's glove could help keep him on the field as much as any Oriole next year, even ones where he isn't the overall player they are.

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

With signing Contreras we wouldn’t just be signing a 2nd catcher, we also be buying Adley at 1B some, good quality versatility at C, 1B, and DH, a RH bat that we desperately need(MOO), and if there is a draft pick loss it would be nominal compared to players we’d have to give up in a trade. And you get to manage Adley’s workload. I want that guys bat in the lineup, and fresh, as much as possible. 
 

Long story short… we’d add Quality versatility, a RH bat, and more of AR to the lineup. All while only maybe surrendering a draft pick(?), and not having to make a trade. To me that’s worth a lot. Fixes lots of needs and not just catcher. 

I don't see any reason to start Adley at first instead of DH.

It's nice that he can do it and all but I'm good with him being a catcher/DH.

[Number5]

3 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

Looks like Adley pulled 84 .C and 23 DH starts in Year 1.     

I feel the 1B thing in the minors was just to keep his blood moving, and feel asking him to do the Scott Hatteberg things would be a waste of his valuable energies.    Take care of 20 pitchers, menace another 200 pitchers - seems like enough.    I don't believe Posey would have compiled the career 1B games he did if his league had the DH.

One of my 2023 Mountcastle hopes is now with a couple hundred games of 1B under his belt, his practice of defending that position can enter the MLB upper echelon.    Only ballplayers who hit well enough get that quantity of reps, and it takes time to do those 10000 hours of practice.    It feels odd to type, but even as the Hits come and go, Mountcastle's glove could help keep him on the field as much as any Oriole next year, even ones where he isn't the overall player they are.

"It's easy.  Tell him, Wash"

"It's incredibly difficult."

[sportsfan8703]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

I don't see any reason to start Adley at first instead of DH.

It's nice that he can do it and all but I'm good with him being a catcher/DH.

Mountcastle doesn’t have to be a 155 game 1B. I want Adley’s bat in the lineup as much as possible, and as fresh as possible. 

So look at it like this… instead of signing a Mancini type bat for $10 million, we could give Contreras 17 million, but Contreras buys us 10 more games of Adley’s bat, and a fresher Adley. How much is that worth?  I think it’s worth the $17 million to sign Contreras. 

[Natty]

I predict we get the cheapest second catcher available. 

[Moose Milligan]

I'm assuming that the games Chirinos started were also started by the rest of the backups.  Like on Sundays.

A backup catcher isn't "simple as that" as to why we missed the playoffs.  

That said, I'd like to see someone more capable at the plate than Chirinos, but that's probably asking for a lot.  A catcher who's a reasonable hitter is probably part of a platoon or maybe starting somewhere.  

 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

I'm assuming that the games Chirinos started were also started by the rest of the backups.  Like on Sundays.

A backup catcher isn't "simple as that" as to why we missed the playoffs.  

That said, I'd like to see someone more capable at the plate than Chirinos, but that's probably asking for a lot. 

 

Change at the plate with behind the plate and I'll agree with you.

[btdart20]

Sure, that's one path and has some strengths.  But I just don't think a 2nd/back-up C gets the same priority from Elias as signing Lyles was heading into 2022.  

There's an argument to made that we have those 3 games in-house.  Adley started his first game in the teams 40th game.  We were 15-24 at that point.  He started 90% of the rest of the season (either C or DH).  That's 36 (90% of 40) if he was healthy (or otherwise broke camp with the team) on OD.  Assuming we had the same 60-47 (56%) winning percentage, we would have been 22-17 in those first 40 games if we won at the same pace after he was promoted. 

Ultimately, I hope Elias' bar isn't just to make the playoffs.  But to make some real noise in the playoffs!