Cleveland Sports Forum

Alvin Dark: "Take a hike, son."

The top 10 catchers in MLB

November, 16, 2014

By Buster Olney | ESPN Insider

In Buster Posey's five seasons as the Giants' backstop, they've won three World Series titles.In those handful of moments when the New York Yankees talked about an austerity drive a couple of years ago, when Hal Steinbrenner spoke of getting under the salary cap, they decided to let Russell Martin walk away as a free agent -- and he was snapped up by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Last December, as the Yankees pared down a roster flush with catching, they decided to trade Chris Stewart, and the Pirates grabbed him, to be Martin’s backup.

Last week, as Pittsburgh looked to build a safety net in case Martin walks away as a free agent, the Pirates turned to the Yankees again, swapping veteran reliever Justin Wilson for Francisco Cervelli.

It’s not a coincidence that there has been a Yankees-Pirates catching pipeline in place, because both teams apparently place the same high priority on pitch-framing, a skill that Martin, Stewart and Cervelli all possess, a skill that is being increasingly valued by teams as they look for the smallest (and largest) advantages. The days when teams are content slapping shinguards and a mask on a slugger and living with defensive deficiencies are just about over.

With that as the context for how catchers are evaluated in 2014, here’s the first in a series of rankings of the top 10 players at each position, based on their overall skills on both offense and defense. The rankings are crafted with input from some general managers and other evaluators in the sport.

The top 10 catchers:

1. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Look, for every evaluator who prefers Posey, there’s another who would take Yadier Molina. Some prefer Molina’s defense, his ability to shut down a running game; others like Posey, because he has been the most consistently excellent hitter when compared to others at this position. He has a career OPS of .861, a neighborhood that Molina has achieved in only one season, 2012, when he had an .874 OPS.

Molina, a future Hall of Famer, is universally regarded as the better defensive player. But Posey’s defense is good and said by his pitchers to be improving, in how he calls games, in how he handles situations. Madison Bumgarner spoke during the postseason about how Posey’s calm demeanor really translates, but added that if he needed to be jarred emotionally, Posey has an ability to do that, too, to get under his skin and get his attention, in the way that an older brother speaks to a younger brother.

It’s hard to argue with the results. Posey has been the Giants’ catcher for five seasons and they’ve won the World Series three times. In the midst of San Francisco’s championship run last month, one San Francisco staffer mused about the constant clamor for Posey to be moved to another position, to augment his offensive numbers, a shift the Giants are not considering now.

“What an advantage to have a player like that as your catcher,” the staffer said.

Sure, we’ve noticed.

2. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

He’s played 11 seasons in the major leagues, and in that time, opposing teams have a total of 317 stolen bases, in just 574 attempts. To understand just how great that is, think about this: In those same 11 years, the Boston Red Sox -- who have won three World Series since the start of 2004 -- have allowed 1,344 steals in 1,710 attempts. With Molina at catcher, it’s as if the Cardinals have been playing a completely different game than the other 29 teams, which is why he would be a Hall of Famer even if he worked another inning behind the plate.

3. Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

He finished fourth in the NL MVP voting this year, a reflection of his tremendous defensive work -- some of his pitch-framing skills are detailed here -- and his standing as one of the best-hitting catchers in the sport. He set a record for doubles in 2014.

4. Russell Martin, free agent

He has gotten better and better as his career has progressed, and in 2014, he posted a .402 on-base percentage. The fact that Martin is drawing intense interest from the Cubs and other teams, and could be in line for a four-year or five-year deal, tells you how highly regarded he is in the market, even at age 31.

The Dodgers are seemingly the greatest competitor for the Cubs in the bidding for Martin.

5. Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals

He just won his second Gold Glove for his defensive work, at age 24, and Kansas City’s recent decision to not pick up the $12 million option for Billy Butler is built on the belief that the Royals have to find a way to keep Perez’s bat in the lineup more often.

6. Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds

He will likely be on this list for years to come.

At age 26, he has reputation for devoting himself to the craft of catching, and last season, he mashed 25 homers, with a .359 on-base percentage.

7. Yan Gomes, Cleveland Indians

Gomes is perhaps the majors’ most underrated catcher, and Indians GM Chris Antonetti deserves a ton of credit for making a deal with the Blue Jays for him. The 27-year-old product of Brazil took over from Carlos Santana in the summer of 2013 because of what he can do defensively, and Gomes is really good offensively, as well, having posted an .826 OPS in 2013 and .785 last season.

Gomes scores well in the pitch-framing numbers, and deserves a share of the credit for the staff-wide improvement of the Cleveland hurlers.

The Gomes deal is a great one. Hard to imagine he'll regress significantly and we have him under control for a number of years. That's one important position we don't have to worry about; and Perez is a nice backup.

Indians bullpen coach Cash a finalist for Rays manager

Email
Print

Indians bullpen coach Cash a finalist for Rays manager If hired, Kevin Cash would be the youngest manager in the Majors. (Getty Images)
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- The Tampa Bay Rays have whittled their managerial candidates list from 10 to three, and Indians bullpen coach Kevin Cash remains in play.

Cash, a Tampa native, joins Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu and 19-year Major League veteran Raul Ibanez as the three finalists. The Rays have said all along that they plan to have their new manager in place by the Winter Meetings. So while a decision might not come before Thanksgiving, it will come relatively soon.

Tribe manager Terry Francona said at season's end that he would not stand in the way of any of his coaches getting a Major League managerial opportunity elsewhere, and Cash's work behind the scenes with the Indians has drawn both internal raves and external attention as a rising star in the industry. In addition to interviewing with the Rays, Cash was also a finalist for the Rangers' vacancy, which eventually went to former Pirates bench coach Jeff Banister.

Cash is a former big league catcher, having spent parts of eight seasons with the Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox, Yankees and Astros. After hanging up his mitt, he served as an advanced scout for the Blue Jays during the 2012 season and joined Francona's staff in 2013.

By and large, Tribe players love working with the 36-year-old Cash because of his preparedness and intelligence. He was the one who persuaded the Indians to target Yan Gomes in the trade that sent Esmil Rogers to Toronto -- a trade that also netted Mike Aviles and has been an absolute steal for the Indians.

Of the three candidates remaining in the Rays' search, Wakamatsu is the only one with managerial experience. If Cash gets the job, he would be the big leagues' youngest skipper.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Share This

What a shock.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's true the Indians made a few inquiries about Chase Headley, but the third baseman is not coming to Cleveland.

He's too expensive and the Indians still have a feeling that they just might have a third baseman in Lonnie Chisenhall.

The Indians are not going to be big players in this free agent market. They are going to work the edges and wait to see what's left when the market settles in late December and January.

It could lead them to outfielder Chris Denorfia or DH-first baseman Kendrys Morales, two of the free agents they've contacted this offseason.

Denorfia, 34, is a right-handed hitting outfielder that split last season between San Diego and Seattle. He hit .230 (76-for-330) with three homers and 36 RBI.

He is a career .290 (240-for-919) hitter against lefties although he hit just .220 against them this year.

Denorfia plays all three outfield positions. Last season the .272 lifetime hitter spent most of his time in right field.

He could be a platoon partner with David Murphy in right field. Right now Ryan Raburn, coming off left knee surgery and a down season, has that job. The Indians owe Raburn $2.5 million for the 2015 season.

Denorfia made $2.25 million last year.



Morales could be an option if the Indians trade Nick Swisher or he isn't ready for the regular season after undergoing surgery on both knees in August. The Indians went into the winter looking for insurance at the corner positions in case Swisher or Raburn weren't fully recovered from surgery.

After the 2013 with Seattle, Morales filed for free agency. The Mariners offered him a $13.1 million qualifying offer, but he rejected it. Morales went unsigned until the Twins signed him to a one-year deal on June 8. By waiting until after the draft to sign the switch-hitter, the Twins did not lose a high draft pick.

Morales, 32, hit only .234 (36-for-154) with one homer for the Twins before he was traded back to Seattle. He just hit .207 (44-for-213) with seven homers in 59 games for Seattle.

The Indians have liked Morales since he defected from Cuba and signed with the Angels in 2006.

Morales made a prorated $12 million this year.

Headley, like Denorfia and Morales, played for two teams in 2014. He opened with the Padres, the team he broke into the big leagues with in 2007. The Padres shipped him to the Yankees in July where he hit .262 (50-for-191) with six homers and 17 RBI.

The switch-hitting Headley made $10.525 million last season. The Yankees are considering re-signing him.


Cleveland Indians 2014

Denorfia or Morales!

Can you say championship?

The Indians are not going to be big players in this free agent market. They are going to work the edges and wait to see what's left when the market settles in late December and January.

Wouldn't be nice if just once, that were not the case!

Yes it would be very nice.

Wouldn't be nice if just once, that were not the case!

They tried in the 2012 offseason and we were impressed with the effort.

[quote="J.R."]The Indians are not going to be big players in this free agent market. They are going to work the edges and wait to see what's left when the market settles in late December and January.

Cant they write the same sentence every year but Dolan is definately not cheap.

Homecoming king: Cash chosen to manage Rays

Tampa Bay product and former Devil Ray calls news of hiring 'incredible'

By Bill Chastain / MLB.com | 3:42 PM ET + 14 COMMENTS

ST. PETERSBURG --

Kevin Cash is going home. And he's doing so as the new manager of the Rays.

Friday afternoon, the Rays named the former catcher as the fifth manager in team history. He will succeed Joe Maddon, who ended his nine-year tenure with the team by exercising an opt-out clause in his contract before agreeing to a five-year, $25 million deal to manage the Cubs.

When Cash learned he had the job, he described the scene as "surreal" and "tears all around."

"I don't know if you can put words on [returning to my hometown]," said Cash during a Friday afternoon conference call. "There's a lot of excitement knowing we'd be coming home. My family's there -- my brother, grandfather, nieces, nephews, it's just incredible. And then to be able to reconnect with some friendships and then develop the new relationships, I'm really looking forward to it."

Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg noted that Cash's energy and dynamic personality will fit seamlessly into the clubhouse.

"We are fortunate to have such a talented individual, and Tampa Bay native, to lead our club as we strive to achieve new heights as a team and organization," Sternberg said.

Cash, 36, attended Tampa's Gaither High School and Florida State, where he played infield when the Seminoles reached the 1999 College World Series. He becomes the youngest Major League manager since A.J. Hinch, who became the D-backs' manager at age 35 in 2009.

Cash spent eight seasons as a player in the Major Leagues, primarily as a catcher, with the Blue Jays, Devil Rays, Red Sox, Yankees and Astros. Known for his defensive skills, Cash last played in the Major Leagues during the 2010 season. He retired after spending the 2011 season with Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers' organization. He earned two World Series rings, with the 2007 Red Sox and the 2009 Yankees.

Cash worked as an advance scout for the Blue Jays in 2012, and in '13 he joined the Indians coaching staff, working as the team's bullpen coach.

"Kevin is passionate, genuine and dedicated, and those attributes will resonate throughout our clubhouse," said Matt Silverman, president, baseball operations. "As a catcher, a scout and a coach, he has always been a student of the game, and his communication and tireless work will put our club in a position to win, night in and night out."

Indians general Chris Antonetti praised Cash, noting what a "huge" impact he made with the Indians and complimenting the Rays for making "a great choice."

"He'll thrive in that role and be a very successful manager," Antonetti said. "Kevin does an extraordinary job of connecting with people and working to figure out the best way to help them and put them in position to be successful. That's a great attribute of a leader."

During his time with the Indians, Cash worked with Yan Gomes, and he is credited for helping Gomes improve his catching skills. He also received praise for helping Indians pitching coach -- and former Tampa Bay pitcher -- Mickey Callaway in his efforts with right-hander Carlos Carrasco. Cash does not have any managing experience, but he did learn under sip from the fountain of knowledge under Indians manager Terry "Tito" Francona.

"I could talk all day about Tito and his philosophy and what I'm going to pull from him and stuff like that," Cash said. "The biggest thing that I watched was the way that he communicates with players. … I see how he treats people.

"How he treats his coaching staff, the personnel that's in and out on a daily basis. And the quality relationships that he has formed with the Red Sox and his current team the Indians. And that's something I pay attention to on a daily basis."

Though Cash has not managed before, he simulated being a manager on many occasions from the Indians' bullpen.

"You're out of the dugout, but you kind of play manager in your head and you kind of try and get a sense of what managers throughout the game are doing in different situations," Cash said. "So I think as long as you are constantly paying attention and trying to learn from different things that happen throughout the course of the game and different decisions that are made, it's as close to managing a game as I've gotten to.

"And then the constant communication before and after the game with the coaching staff, explaining thoughts and decisions and trying to anticipate. A lot of that takes place, and I look forward to a lot more of that taking place with the coaching staff that's intact here."

Also in Cash's favor is the fact he was a catcher, which has always been a common denominator for many managers. Cash offered his thoughts on why backstops dominate the managing landscape.
"The only aspect I can draw from that is that's one position where you're sitting looking out at the field," Cash said. "Everyone else is looking in at the batter. It's a different perspective in the game. And there's a lot of game planning that goes on.
"So many position players and pitchers, they are trying to help the team, but they are also focusing on what they're doing. Whereas I think the catcher's responsibility is doing the best that he can do for the team, but also concerning himself about that pitcher on the mound. Those two things probably help the catcher along in this process."

The Rays identified 10 candidates for their vacant managerial post: Dave Martinez, Charlie Montoyo, Manny Acta, Ron Wotus, Don Wakamatsu, Raul Ibanez, Craig Counsell, Barry Larkin, Doug Glanville and Cash.

On Nov. 21, the Rays narrowed down the field by seven candidates to three: Cash, Ibanez and Wakamatsu. Ibanez dropped out on Thursday due to family issues, leaving the Rays to make their final call between Cash and Wakamatsu.

Silverman characterized the final decision as "extremely difficult."

"I didn't know Don at all before this process and have developed tremendous respect for him, not only as a baseball person, but as an individual," Silverman said. "He's a quality person with a great baseball mind and I fully expect he's going to have the opportunity to manage again soon. And if anyone calls and asks us about him, they're only going to hear positive, glowing remarks about him."

Cash becomes the first former Rays player to be named Rays manager and joins former White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen as the only former Rays to manage at the Major League level.

He also becomes the sixth Tampa-born manager in Major League history, and the second for the Rays, joining Lou Piniella (whom Cash played for in 2005), Hall of Famers Al Lopez and Tony La Russa, Dave Miley and John Hart.

Cash said that he's already talked to several Rays players and noted that he has been impressed with their energy level and enthusiasm.

"I'm really excited about the new direction," third baseman Evan Longoria said. "Kevin brings experience as a player at the Major League level, which excites me. Along with a fresh attitude that I feel will translate into making our already great clubhouse even better."

Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

He also received praise for helping Indians pitching coach -- and former Tampa Bay pitcher -- Mickey Callaway in his efforts with right-hander Carlos Carrasco.

Please, don't even THINK of taking Callaway with you!

Will Jason Giambi rejoin Cleveland Indians as coach? Hey, Hoynsie!


CLEVELAND, Ohio – Do you have a question that you'd like to be answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here.

Hey, Hoynsie: With Kevin Cash getting the manager's job in Tampa Bay, will first base coach Sandy Alomar be taking over as bullpen coach to accommodate the inevitable addition of Jason Giambi to the Indians coaching staff? – Joe Cepec, Dublin.

Hey, Joe: You present an interesting scenario. Last time I checked Giambi still hadn't decided if he was going to retire as a player.

I'm trying to think where he'd best fit. I think he'd best qualify as a bench coach or hitting coach. Manager Terry Francona already has a bench coach in Brad Mills and the staff has two hitting coaches in Ty Van Burkleo and Matt Quatraro.

You have to wonder if Alomar moved to the bullpen, would that hurt his time when it came to working with the team's catchers? I do know the Indians have a lot of candidates, especially from within the organization, to replace Cash.

Hey, Hoynsie: With the talks surrounding Brandon Moss coming to Cleveland, is there any chance we can find a way to bring Jeff Samardzija with him? Perhaps a deal with Erik Gonzales and Trevor Bauer as the centerpieces would do the trick? Perhaps the Tribe could throw in one of its young outfielders as well? – Nick M., Cleveland.

Hey, Nick: From what I've heard, Samardzija has not been involved in the trade talks between the Indians and Oakland.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think it is foolhardy that the Indians are potentially looking to deal Nick Swisher this off-season? Knowing that the Indians need to upgrade their offense in 2015, Swisher, if healthy, represents the one player who can markedly improve their run production. Even if they do trade him, where would they be able to get that type of potential offensive output especially since the free agent market is now bereft of quality offensive players? – Leslie Gorta, Sagamore Hills.

Hey, Leslie: Realistically, I don't think the Indians believe they'll be able to trade Swisher, who is coming off a poor season and surgery on both knees. But I think they have to do their homework.

If they were able to trade Swisher, that would give GM Chris Antonetti more money to pursue a free agent hitter or try to add a hitter through a trade. There are still good decent hitters available on the free agent market.

If Swisher is able to bounce back from surgery, and play like the pre-Cleveland version of himself next season, I think that's the best outcome the Indians are going to get from the situation.

Hey, Hoynsie: This may sound off the wall, and I'm certain it is far too late to start considering it now, but would the Indians consider Jason Kipnis at third base so the better defensive duo of Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez could start in the middle of the infield? – Chris Zanon, Miami.

Hey, Chris: I'm sure the Indians have talked about that as much as they've talked about moving Kipnis or third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to the outfield in an effort to improve the defense. I don't see anything that extreme happening this year unless something goes wrong in spring training.

In the next few years, however, I would not be surprised to see something like that happen. The 2015 season will be an important one for Kipnis and Chisenhall. If Kipnis can rediscover his swing and play his normal brand of defense, I think second base belongs to him. Chisenhall showed what he could do offensively last season, although it was far from a smooth ride. Defensively, he took a step back. He needs to find a happy medium.

The next few years should also reveal just how good Lindor and Ramirez can be at the big league level. Time is the best judge of us all.

Hey, Hoynsie: Rumor has it the Tribe is kicking the tires on Kendrys Morales. Given the current roster, where would Morales conceivably fit? Nick Swisher or David Murphy would definitely have to be moved for this to work. We know the value of a Swisher, but could David Murphy bring a modest return if moved? – Casey Dubiel, Belmont.

Hey, Casey: I think Morales would fit into the offense a lot like Brandon Moss would. He'd help out at first base or DH. Morales, unlike Moss, is probably not a good fit in the outfield.

The addition of Morales or a hitter like him would probably force the Indians to make a trade to balance the roster. When it comes to Murphy or Swisher, I think Murphy would be the easier player to trade because of health and salary.

By Jim Donaldson

Jim Donaldson The Providence Journal
jdonalds@providencejournal.com

Published: December 07 2014 11:30
Loved this quote in Sunday’s San Diego Union-Tribune from Josh Lewin, the radio play-by-play man for the Chargers and Mets, on MLB’s annual Winter Meetings, which are being held this week in San Diego:

“In a way, it’s sort of like baseball’s Comic-Con. It’s the one chance to see the entire industry of baseball in one place, a convention for all the movers and shakers, has-beens and wannabes. It’s like the bar scene from Star Wars.”

The bar scene from Star Wars.

Love it.

Think it was the Winter Meetings where all the movers and shakers spent hours and hours working out a new deal for Manny Ramirez....thought they had a deal, and left. Before the wheels of their plane touched down, Manny was a Red Sox.