This time next year Adley/Basallo will be our catching duo. How valuable is that?

[OriolesUpAndDowns]

I don’t think he will be until mid 2025.  
 

I would like both of them pick up a 1st base mitt next spring to get some reps.  Just for some added flexibility.  

[CHIP]

On 6/25/2024 at 9:35 AM, justD said:

Blake Hunt? Or is he just AAA filler? I know he's on the 7-day IL, I know his slash line is not spectacular (currently .252/.309/.480) but he has shown some power and 3rd catcher is more for defense, right? I haven't seen him but remembered we had recently acquired him. 

This is a clip from earlier this year when he was still with the Mariners AAA: 

 

I think Hunt's injury is a bit more significant that 7 day.  But... we likely won't know until he is back.

His numbers this year were built around April in Tacoma.  May and June have been poor and bad.  He has hit 3 HR for Norfolk but 19K and no Walks.  He does not block well.  Considering the O's are the third MLB franchise to try to find some value with him... what do the other 3 know that we don't or think we can fix?  Tampa traded him to Seattle for a nobody.  We traded a DFA who Seattle is griping about and 33 'has been C' to get him... so nothing of 'value'.   If you dig, you will see that Perez (the catcher we traded) has doubled his walk rate and halved his K rate and doubled his HR rate in Tacoma.  

So... Hunt's 6'5" frame and occasional power gets people excited along with being a high pick in 2016 out of HS... but I wouldn't count on him making a long term contribution.  

AAA games are free to watch the day after the game.  Having watched him, if I were the opposing team, every pitch would be low and outside off the plate.  He has not fixed this huge hole and habit to chase from what I have seen.

[sportsfan8703]

In 2025, Basallo should only be in the minors for the first 6 weeks of the season to gain the extra year of control. Then he and Adley should do a 50/50 time share at C and DH, where maybe Basallo sits versus LH SP. Maybe sits. 

[RZNJ]

15 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

In 2025, Basallo should only be in the minors for the first 6 weeks of the season to gain the extra year of control. Then he and Adley should do a 50/50 time share at C and DH, where maybe Basallo sits versus LH SP. Maybe sits. 

Does it matter at all what Basallo does from now until then in the minors?

[Frobby]

I mentioned this in Basallo’s thread in the MiL forum, but Bowie’s pitchers have allowed about 1.5 runs per game more when Basallo has caught than when he hasn’t caught.  That doesn’t prove that Basallo is a terrible defensive catcher, but it gives me reason to wonder if t there is some cause and effect there.  I’m sure Elias & co. are pondering that.  

[interloper]

19 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I mentioned this in Basallo’s thread in the MiL forum, but Bowie’s pitchers have allowed about 1.5 runs per game more when Basallo has caught than when he hasn’t caught.  That doesn’t prove that Basallo is a terrible defensive catcher, but it gives me reason to wonder if t there is some cause and effect there.  I’m sure Elias & co. are pondering that.  

Not saying it doesn't matter at all or anything, but I feel like I can't even trust established stats like OBP in the minors, let alone something as esoteric or flimsy as catcher ERA. More and more I just don't know how to interpret minor league stats, haha. 

Edited Friday at 18:53 by interloper

[DrungoHazewood]

On 6/25/2024 at 8:31 AM, sportsfan8703 said:

Back in 2014/2015 we had Wieters and Ramon Hernandez. It was nice not having to downgrade offense when the backup played. In fact, I think they did a 50/50 time share. 

If you think about the truly great Offensive Catchers, then I’m sure teams must’ve run into a similar situation with like Piazza, Pudge, etc…

Hernandez was an Oriole from 2006-2008, and Weiters debuted in 2009. In 2014 Caleb Joseph came up when Wieters was hurt early in the season. And he didn't come back until June of '15. They did give him some days off with Joseph catching, but that really wasn't much of an asset with him OPS+ing 88 (but a pretty good catcher).

But more-or-less from his debut until he left after the 2016 Wieters was the regular catcher getting 75-80% or more of the playing time when healthy.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I mentioned this in Basallo’s thread in the MiL forum, but Bowie’s pitchers have allowed about 1.5 runs per game more when Basallo has caught than when he hasn’t caught.  That doesn’t prove that Basallo is a terrible defensive catcher, but it gives me reason to wonder if t there is some cause and effect there.  I’m sure Elias & co. are pondering that.  

Never trust catcher ERA!

Who were they facing when the various catchers caught? Who was pitching for the BaySox? I'm sure there's some signal in that data, but it's awfully hard to tease out of the noise.

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I mentioned this in Basallo’s thread in the MiL forum, but Bowie’s pitchers have allowed about 1.5 runs per game more when Basallo has caught than when he hasn’t caught.  That doesn’t prove that Basallo is a terrible defensive catcher, but it gives me reason to wonder if t there is some cause and effect there.  I’m sure Elias & co. are pondering that.  

Maybe.  And he’s a 19 year old catcher.  I hear they improve sometimes.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Maybe.  And he’s a 19 year old catcher.  I hear they improve sometimes.

Sure.   I'm just saying his defense may keep him in the minors significantly longer than preferred by those who just read his offensive stats and watch his long homers on X.   Emphasis on "may."   But no way Elias and Hyde would call up a catcher, no matter how good offensively, who costs the team 1.5 runs a game by poor framing, pitch calling or whatnot.   And again, I am not saying that's the case.  I'm saying I'd expect management to investigate it.

[DrungoHazewood]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Sure.   I'm just saying his defense may keep him in the minors significantly longer than preferred by those who just read his offensive stats and watch his long homers on X.   Emphasis on "may."   But no way Elias and Hyde would call up a catcher, no matter how good offensively, who costs the team 1.5 runs a game by poor framing, pitch calling or whatnot.   And again, I am not saying that's the case.  I'm saying I'd expect management to investigate it.

140 games x 1.5 runs = 210 runs per season. So, if the investigation confirms the hypothesis, a .900-OPSing Basallo catching most of the time would be something like a -8 or -10 WAR player.

Yea, I'd assume Elias wouldn't put a -10 WAR player out there every day.

Edited Friday at 19:59 by DrungoHazewood