Cheap improvements at catcher

[endaround]

Salome has had once decent month in AAA in June and then got injured and has been in and out of the lineup ad doing actual catching. There is no reason to rush him if you can find some veteran out there.

[paul253]

I'd let Salome and Rivera battle it out. We need all the money we have to improve the pitching staff and sign a centerfielder to replace Cameron.

[yogallardo43]

Is it for sure that the Brewers won't sign Cameron? Is there any evidence to back that theory up? I was just wondering because I really like Cameron and would like to see him CF next season with a one year deal. He seems to like the Brewers.

[nate82]

So you really think that the D'Backs are going to trade a decent catcher for a completely useless Hall and a utility guy just to add $3.65M to their payroll next year but to save $5.25M on the final year of his contract?

 

I'm actually done debating this. If you can't see how awful that is for Arizona, you never will.

Why pay a backup catcher that much that isn't going to be playing very much at all. Hall would have more value to them because he can play multiple spots and will be in the lineup more which is a good thing. Snyder will be the backup and why would you pay a backup catcher that much money? Do you get it now?

[trwi7]

I get it, it just doesn't make sense and it's truly awful for Arizona. Catchers have value beyond an overpaid defensive replacement and a utility player.

[DonMoney4Mgr]

I'm not sure why anybody would think Rivera would ever be more than a backup in this league. A career .299 OBP and not a lot of power either. In addition, he's nothing special defensively. If he was, he would play more than a few times a month. That's two different managers that have handled him the same way. He's 32, almost 33, and I don't see a huge upside.

[gobrew23]

Why pay a backup catcher that much that isn't going to be playing very much at all. Hall would have more value to them because he can play multiple spots and will be in the lineup more which is a good thing. Snyder will be the backup and why would you pay a backup catcher that much money? Do you get it now?

I agree Hall's versatility is a plus, but Hall being in the lineup more is not a good thing.

[Funketown]

I really don't know about Lucroy's defense at this point (although from what it sounds like, he'll stick behind the plate for the time being), but his bat has got to be at least a year away from the majors. He's shown a great eye at the plate this year (16.1% BB, 16.0% K), but he'd probably be better of developing some more power in AAA next year. If the team is out of the playoff hunt in September, I would like to see Salome brought up to catch a handful of games (what good does it do to have Kendall catching 28 games in September, much less any other month?). It's just really hard to project catching prospects before you've actually seen them catch.

[bcf5575]

i wonder if kendall would come back in a situation where he would be splittling time with Salome or Lucroy for a year. Start 80 games and serve as a mentor for the younger guy? Kendalls production might actually go up (I think he is too old to catch as much as he does and it hurts his offensive numbers) and it would allow the young guy (whomever wins the spot) to learn from Kendall for the year.

 

I am not sure I even like that idea. But I know I dont like Kendalls bat in the lineup 150 times, and I am not crazy about a rookie catcher and Rivera sharing the load either.

[joepepsi]

Kendall drives me nuts. This mandate that he must play makes me unfairly hate him. That said, since June 1st he's batting .244 with a .325 obp. While that's not very good, it's also not completely wretched.

 

So I think you have to be careful about signing some other veteran free agent. Zaun is 3 years older and though he has a titch more power, he really isn't much of an upgrade. If the choice is between Kendall and some tired vet like Zaun, then it's probably better to go with the devil you know. If you think Salome can adequately catch 100 games next year, hit .244/.325 with some improved slugging numbers, then you go with him.

[endaround]

Just to add to this since his slow start Lucroy has been hitting well (June:0.263 0.339 0.463 July: 0.239 0.426 0.394 Last 28 days: 0.309 0.434 0.485). So while Salome doesn't look ready for MLB Lucroy looks ready to promote. This is better than having no catching in the minors but the Brewers could easily have 2 catchers ready by June 2010.

[Invader3K]

I wonder if Kendall would be willing to settle for a cheaper one year deal, or maybe a one year with a club option for a second year (with a decent buyout). I would think he realizes he's wearing down and not hitting as well as he used to. On the other hand, he'd be a great mentor to have around for Salome/Lucroy.

[sbrylski]

I mentioned his name just now in the Nyger Morgan thread, but Ryan Doumit might be a trade target in a bit of a down year. He'll only be one year into a three year deal (with two team option years on the end), but so? Pirates seem to be willing to sell anyone they get a good price for.

[jjfanec]

I really think Salome is vastly overrated by some on this board. His bat needs to be very very good to make up for his glove, but over the past 4 years his OPS has been above .806 once. He had a BABip last year of .400 which inflated his numbers last year. He had a great year regardless of his BABip but he really has never had another standout year. They have been good but not good enough to make up for poor defense.

 

I think next year should be a free-agent catcher and then hope Lucroy is ready power-wise or that Salome's defense has move to just a little below average.

[TheCrew07]

I'm not sure you can just look at a player's RAW stat line and draw any definitive conclusions about their relative talent level, especially right handed hitters in the Brewers' system. Salome suffered a terrible injury in WV, and the FSL and Space Coast Stadium specifically suppress the numbers of right handed batters due to the 20 MPH wind that tends to blow straight in from left. The only right handed batter the stadium didn't seem to affect was Lucroy, and now that he's left BC he didn't get the surge in his numbers that most right handed batters do... he's had a similar year to Lawrie, both players are consistent contributors but haven't put together an extended hot streak all season.

 

Long story short, the year at BC is rarely as good as the year at WV or now WI, but that doesn't mean the player hasn't improved.

[jjfanec]

I'm not sure you can just look at a player's RAW stat line and draw any definitive conclusions about their relative talent level, especially right handed hitters in the Brewers' system. Salome suffered a terrible injury in WV, and the FSL and Space Coast Stadium specifically suppress the numbers of right handed batters due to the 20 MPH wind that tends to blow straight in from left. The only right handed batter the stadium didn't seem to affect was Lucroy, and now that he's left BC he didn't get the surge in his numbers that most right handed batters do... he's had a similar year to Lawrie, both players are consistent contributors but haven't put together an extended hot streak all season.

 

Long story short, the year at BC is rarely as good as the year at WV or now WI, but that doesn't mean the player hasn't improved.

Those are good points but Salome's struggles this year and two other years with an OPS around .800 seem to make his crazy good year with an unsustainable BABip look a little like a small fluke. I am rooting for him to succeed, but I suspect he is more of an .800ish OPS guy with poor defense than a .900 OPS guy whose offense makes up for his poor defense.

 

For as hard as people have been on Lucroy's lack of power this year his OPS is .60 higher than Salome's. With his defense being better I am putting more hope in him than Salome.

[Weirdos19]

I wouldn't offer Kendall anything. He is not good. If our pitching is this bad, we don't need a catcher that "calls a good game". We certainly don't need a .230 hitting catcher that is aging.

 

Rivera is better now, IMO. A Rivera/Salome combo would be decent. I would like to see it.

 

Another option is making a trade with Texas, if Salome isn't in the plans. They still have 4 catchers that could be ML starters right now. Saltalamaccia, Max Ramirez, Teagarden, and I can't remember the other. Any of them is a step up from what we have now.

[Invader3K]

I'd like to see Melvin trade for Saltalamachia, personally. I don't think he'd cost a lot, and still has some upside.

[TheCrew07]

He's more of a 1B at this point though, defensively he's similar to Salome and possibly worse unless something has drastically changed since I last researched him.

[owbc]

I would like to see Catalanatto and Saltamacchia in the same lineup.

[T B0NE 10]

I'm down with anybody but Kendall. He's decent defensively but I just hate his approach at the plate. I have more confidence in our pitchers at the plate.

 

How about giving Mike Rivera a shot?

[jjfanec]

The major problem with Snyder is that he complicates what the Brewers do with Salome and LuCroy with the contract running through 2011. Yeah, you might get him for Hall, but blocking prospects is an issue. Especially since Macha really hasn't shown much creativity in finding younger players playing time.

 

Robert

After this AAA season Salome has not shown he is ready to start next year. Lucroy is still at least 1 year away. Trading for Snyder could allow the Brewers to deal Salome and then let Lucroy spend at least one maybe two years in AAA.

[TooLiveBrew]

He's decent defensively

 

The main problem I have with Kendall getting so much playing time is that I'm not even sure this is true anymore. This season has just been a nightmare at catcher.

[dlk9s]

How about giving Mike Rivera a shot?

Because he's not very good?

[Invader3K]

He's more of a 1B at this point though, defensively he's similar to Salome and possibly worse unless something has drastically changed since I last researched him.

 

I'm not sure about his defense, but he's still pretty young. Only 24 years old this season.