Frank Catalanotto

[wickedheat]

Frank Catalanotto is a guy I've liked for years. He's no Spring chicken at 33, but has a good OBP, plays LF, and only made $3.5M this year. Seems like a perfect fit for what the Brewers are looking for this off-season. I don't know what his contract status is, and I don't know if the Rangers have a bullpen arm for us, but their starting pitching looks like it could use a Bush/Capuano/Vargas type.

I didn't have the time to research and come up with a full proposal, so maybe someone can finish the job for me. I'm curious what it would take to get Catalanotto + bullpen help (is Otsuka healthy/available?) from Texas.

I'd also like to hear other reasons the Brewers would or wouldn't want FC.

[kgbaseball]

Well, he's fairly valuable as a bench guy, but is strictly a platoon player at this point.

[And That]

He's limited to 1B and LF, he's left-handed and can't hit lefties worth a lick. Plus, he's owed at least $10 mil over the next 3 years. Pass.

[Gopher74]

Frank Catalanotto is a guy I've liked for years. He's no Spring chicken at 33, but has a good OBP, plays LF, and only made $3.5M this year. Seems like a perfect fit for what the Brewers are looking for this off-season. I don't know what his contract status is, and I don't know if the Rangers have a bullpen arm for us, but their starting pitching looks like it could use a Bush/Capuano/Vargas type.

 

I didn't have the time to research and come up with a full proposal, so maybe someone can finish the job for me. I'm curious what it would take to get Catalanotto + bullpen help (is Otsuka healthy/available?) from Texas.

 

I'd also like to hear other reasons the Brewers would or wouldn't want FC.

 

 

The rangers actually have several guys who I'd love to get from their Bullpen.

 

CJ Wilson, Benoit, Otsuka.....those three would all serve a very valuable role in our pen. All could be used as SU men(though Wilson would be better served as a 7th inning man).

 

He's just nasty vs left handers, and not THAT great vs righties. I mean, he's got good stuff, and can pitch to both, but he's more of a loogy than a SU man IMO.

[dadofandrew]

I would not mind seeing Frank C at all, but I believe he does have a pretty weak arm. Still, he's almost a dictionary defintion of a "professional hitter".

 

And yes, he'd just be a platoon guy. That said, Gross might be just as good.

[JohnBriggs12]

Catalanotto is worth considering. He's coming off what is a bad year for him, so he's a "buy low" candidate. We owe Craig Counsell at least $3.2 million for one year to be a defensive replacement/pinch bunter so $10 million total over 2 years isn't that out of reach especially if we give some salary back.

 

I could see him batting in the 2 hole against righthanders. He's been a very successful 2 hole hitter in his career. He's more proven than is Gross for that role and makes more consistent contact while still taking his share of walks and he would free up Yost (or whoever is managing come July) to rest Hall or Hart from time to time against tough righties by using both. Catalanatto certainly fits the description of a professional hitter.

 

Put him down on my list below my first choice Ibanez, but on the list nontheless.

[BucEbadger]

IMO this would be a ideal player to get as hes Seitzer type player whos plays the OF and gets on base and does all the little things right.. Would be the ideal player to have in the 2 spot behind Weeks and ahead of Braun and Fielder... But whats it gonna cost for him??

[Zycho32]

Again, it comes down to this; Will Cat's production compared to Gross off-set the differences in salaries, not to mention what it might cost to acquire him in a trade?

 

The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure nobody has split stats in such a way that they showed Gross' production for the last one or two months of the season when he was getting his most consistant time at #2 in the lineup.