Catcher’s Blog

Well, first of all, I’m starting with the catcher’s position because it’s the first position on the field, but we all know who the starting catcher in 2008 is and will be until possibly 2013 or longer, but I’d still like to touch on a few points of my own.
 

Starting Catcher:

Brian McCann did a relatively decent job while being injured for on and off during the season. First was his finger injury, then that got re-injured, then he had ankle problems lingering from the ‘06 season, and finally other nagging injuries that held him back. He definitely wasn’t the same .333 hitter from the ‘06 season in ‘07, that’s for sure, and his defense wasn’t as good in ‘07 either. Hopefully, he can come to Spring Training healthy and well rested. As he himself mentioned in a ChopTalk mini-column in the December issue, he may never hit .333 again, but let’s hope he can come close. Even though his game wasn’t his best in ‘07, he still called the game with the best of them, and was named the reserve catcher in the ‘07 All-Star Game for the second year in a row. He’s still possibly the best catcher in the NL, even while only hitting .270. He compiled 18 HR with 92 RBIs. In late October, McCann had Lasik surgery and won’t have to rely on his contacts when eyeing the pitchers at the plate, maybe that will help him some as well. Really, I don’t think we have to worry too much about our starting catcher, that’s why he is where he is and will be for quite a few years.

“I was pleased with my power numbers (18 HR/92 RBIs), but my average was down and I think that was a  combination of my mechanics and the fact that I was pitched a little differently. I believe I’m better than a .270 hitter, and I think my average was mostly because my mechanics weren’t right all season. When the season is over, you have time to think and look at things.” - Brian McCann, ChopTalk, December 2007.

Backup Catcher Candidates:

Clint Sammons (Minor League Stats) stayed in the minors most of the ‘07 season, but was brought up late in the season in the September call-ups. The two games Clint played in, he looked to be defensively sound. As one of the ‘08 candidates for the backup role, Clint could provide very good defense, as well as throwing out runners, which I believe is what the Braves are wanting. I believe the only question mark with Clint is if he can hit regularly coming off the bench when he does come late into a game or starting when McCann takes the day off. The other candidates have an advantage over Sammons in experience, which I don’t think would take Clint too long to gain this tool. Maybe by spending half the season in AAA, he’ll be even more seasoned. Maybe he’ll learn fast and come out hitting well in Spring Training? We’ll have to see how he develops in the spring.

Javy Lopez was the Braves longtime catcher from ‘92 until ‘03. He was a 3-time All-Star, all of which were with the Braves, and he won a Silver Slugger award in ‘03 as well. After Javy moved on from the Braves, he had one good season with the Orioles where he hit .316 with 86 RBIs, but since then his game has been on the decline. Other than being with the Rockies for Spring Training in ‘07, Javy hasn’t played since then. The Rockies released him before the season started. Javy would provide veteran leadership behind McCann and the Braves are looking for that in their backup catcher. The question with Javy is if he can prove that he is still capable of being in the majors and able to keep up his batting average and defense as well.

Brayan Pena was the backup catcher in the start of the ‘07 season, but after being injured he was replaced by Jarrod Saltalamacchia as the backup and Pena was sent back to AAA. Pena learned different positions when going back to AAA, such as 1B, 3B, RF, LF, and DH, making him more of a utility player. I don’t think they’ll use Pena in the catcher position as much since he’s able to play more positions now, which is one reason why I think the Braves kept Corky around to make sure we had enough catching possibilities, in case one didn’t work out. Pena might stay on the bench, but he might also start the season out in AAA. It depends on who gets the backup role most likely. But I don’t believe he’s the favorite to win the position since they signed Javy and kept Corky. Pena will probably be used elsewhere either way.

Corky Miller was in AAA most of the year in ‘07, but we did bring him up later in the season after the trade deadline, over Pena, to see what he was capable of doing. Corky’s defense is probably the only reason we’ve kept him, since that’s the only thing he could really do well. His bat was inconsistent, but when he did hit, he had some power. I really don’t see him making the team, but we’ll have to see when spring comes around.

J.C. Boscan is a non-roster invitee, who was previously with the Braves in the minor league system from ‘99 to ‘05. Boscan spent the last two years in the Milwaukee and Cincinnati organizations playing for AA and AAA, hitting .198 in 30 games at AA and .286 in eight games at AAA. I’m not too sure why we signed him other than just having another option like Corky since obviously the Braves, as well as the Brewers and Reds, let go of him for a reason even if he was a free agent.

I’m sure all of these candidates won’t be here when the season starts, but I think out of the five possibilities I’ve mentioned, the first two players mentioned as candidates in the post, will be the favorites for the backup catcher’s role. We’ll have to see how things play out in Spring Training, which is just around the corner. Next I’ll have a look at the infield positions since they are all taken and hopefully it will be finished by the weekend or beginning of next week. Comments and questions are welcome.