Colorado Rockies: Options to improve at catcher in 2019

Kyle Freeland and Chris Iannetta of the Colorado Rockies — 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.

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