Colorado Rockies: Options to improve at catcher in 2019

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DENVER, CO – JULY 27: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies visits with Chris Iannetta #22 after loading the bases on a hit batsmen in the first inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics during interleave play at Coors Field on July 27, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

The Colorado Rockies got positive production from almost every position on the field in 2018, with two notable exceptions: catcher and first base. Right now, first base is occupied by the seemingly immovable Ian Desmond, which makes catcher one of the most logical places the Rockies could seek to upgrade for 2019.

Last year, Colorado Rockies catchers Chris Iannetta, Tony Wolters, Tom Murphy, and Drew Butera compiled a dismal -0.3 WAR combined. Iannetta logged the most innings, however he managed to hit only .224/.345/.385 over 360 at-bats. He also nailed only eight of 48 stolen base attempts against him for a downright miserable 14%.

As a group, Rockies catchers caught only 21% of would-be base stealers, a mark that puts them behind every other team save the Rangers and Mets. They also rated well below league average in passed balls, fielding percentage, double plays, and UZR.

Clearly there is some room for improvement here. However, catcher is notorious for being one of the most difficult places on the diamond to find quality help. That said, there are some options out there for the Rox that may be able to help in 2019.

Note: Miami’s J.T. Realmuto is not discussed in this article despite making headlines on Tuesday. We discussed him in this article.

Yasmani Grandal

One option is the Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal, who may be on his way out of Los Angeles. Grandal was last seen struggling mightily in the postseason, both with the glove and the bat. These struggles led to Grandal lashing out at fans and reporters, placing him squarely in the doghouse of both manager Dave Roberts and the fans of the greater Los Angeles area.

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LA’s loss could be Colorado’s gain, however, as the 30-year-old catcher had established himself as one of the more reliable all-around catchers in the game before his recent struggles. Grandal hit .241/.349/.466 in 140 games for the Dodgers, good for an overall OPS that’s more than 100 points higher than Rockies catchers were able to amass.

Grandal was also better behind the plate, throwing out 28% of would-be base stealers with a .994 fielding percentage. Both of these marks place him squarely around the league average which, again, would be a major improvement for the Rox.

The seven-year vet is a former All-Star that has hit at least 22 homers in three straight seasons … and in LA’s pitcher-friendly ballpark no less. Playing half his games in Coors Field would put Grandal in position to crack 30 dingers for the first time in his career, and his 12.2% walk rate last year would play in any ballpark.

Grandal made $7.9M last season and would probably be in line to make a similar amount with his next contract, assuming that his postseason struggles don’t depress his market value. This would be a modest cost increase over Iannetta, though an additional $3 to 5M wouldn’t be enough to break the Rockies bank, especially with Gerardo Parra’s $10M and Carlos Gonzales’ $5M salaries coming off the books.

Wilson Ramos

Behind Grandal, the next-highest WAR for a free agent catcher was the 3.1 mark compiled by Phillies (and Rays) catcher Wilson Ramos. The man they call the Buffalo has similar defensive skills to Grandal and he may be an even better hitter. Ramos hit a combined .306/.358/.487 last year, including a spectacular .337/.396/.483 after his trade to Philly.

Ramos is a year older than Grandal, however, and he also has two ACL surgeries in his rearview. In his nine-year career, Ramos has only surpassed the 100-game mark four times, making his future durability a question. Even still, after his impressive run with the Phillies he stands to make at least the $8.5M that he did last season.

Kurt Suzuki

The Incumbents

So if the Rockies were to add a catcher, what would become of the current crop of players? Butera is a free agent and is all but certain to move on. However, the Rockies retain control of the other three through at least the end of next year.

Of the returning backstops, only Wolters provided positive value and his modest 2019 salary ($550,000, his last year before arbitration) means that he could be a reasonable backup next season. Unfortunately, Iannetta’s poor production and comparatively large salary ($4.15M) make him more difficult to move, so it may be easier to trade or demote Wolters and to shift Iannetta to the backup role.

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Grandal is a switch hitter that’s more productive from the left side, so he could form a decent platoon partner with either Iannetta or Wolters, both of whom have been better against lefties than righties for their career. It should be noted, however, that last year Iannetta’s splits reversed themselves and he actually hit righties better.

That brings up another possibility for the catcher position: Crossing your fingers and hoping for improvement. Iannetta is only a year removed from a 1.8 WAR season that saw him slash a respectable .254/.354/.511 for the Diamondbacks. Hoping for a catcher to improve his numbers at age 36 may be a lot to ask, but if he can approach those levels and Wolters can take a step forward (a possibility given that he’s still only 26) then maybe catcher won’t be such a black hole in the lineup for 2019.

Knowing the Rockies, this seems like the most likely scenario. The team could break camp with their returning players, then look to improve via trade midseason if things don’t work out. Free agents-to-be like Francisco Cervelli or Welington Castillo could be potential trade targets in this scenario, though forgive me if I’m less than inspired by these options.

Grandal seems to make the most appealing target based on his age, past production, durability, and performance against right-handers. It would also be exciting to see what he or Ramos could do with the bat in the thin Denver air, though given their potential price tags the usually thrifty Rockies may just punt the position in 2019.

Three potential trade packages for Nolan Arenado. dark. Next

The Rockies have been historically bad at catcher and 2018 was no exception. One final thought: in their 25-year history the Rockies have had All-Stars at every position. Every position, that is, but catcher. Maybe it’s time.

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