Backup catchers rarely decide the fate of seasons, but they are important cogs for successful teams and the Toronto Blue Jays lost a good one in Dioner Navarro. Not only did the 31-year-old hit well for his position, he recently served as Marco Estrada’s personal catcher during his breakout year and received a lot of credit for the right-hander’s success.
It’s impossible to know how much of the breakthrough Navarro caused, but where there’s smoke there’s fire and Estrada himself acknowledged his special connection with Navarro throughout the postseason.
Navarro did have his flaws in the form of poor pitch framing and difficulty throwing out runners, but he was was a better second backstop than most and replacing him won’t be easy. The free-agent catching market is undoubtedly thin this year, but that’s not to say there are no options.
Here are a few players who could step into the shoes of “Officer Navarro”:
Michael McKenry
McKenry is coming off a rough season, but in 2014 he was a two-win catcher with excellent offensive statistics. His true talent lies in between his 2014 and 2015 seasons, but he could be buy-low type.
Age: 30
2015 Stats: 152 PA, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .205/.329/.402, WAR -0.2, BP Framing: -1.3
Pros: McKenry has a great eye and the best ability to get on base of any backup on the market. He has solid power and is not entirely immobile with three triples and two steals last year.
Cons: There is no doubt that McKenry is a bat-first backup and when he’s not hitting he has trouble contributing on the defensive side of the ball.
Outlook: McKenry may come cheap and wouldn’t look out of place in a stacked lineup, but he doesn’t have the catch-and-throw abilities of a traditional backup.
Tyler Flowers
Once a highly-touted prospect, Flowers finally outstayed his welcome for the Chicago White Sox, who non-tendered him Wednesday. While he almost certainly won’t reach the heights some imagined for him, Flowers has something to offer at the big-league level.
Age: 29
2015 Stats: 361 PA, 9 HR, 39 RBI, .239/.295/.356, WAR 0.8, BP Framing: +12.3
Pros: Flowers is relatively young, has a little bit of power, and excellent framing metrics. He also has a good reputation for handling pitchers.
Cons: Getting on base and making contact are two major issues that hamper his offensive ceiling and on the defensive side he has struggled with blocking balls. The market for him should be strong as some have seen the White Sox non-tendering him as a misstep.
Outlook: Flowers is a high-end option in this market and the Blue Jays may not want to out-bid other teams for his services, but his solid skills are definitely worth consideration.
Josh Thole
Thole is not the most exciting option, but he is the most obvious one. For better or for worse there is no team he fits better than the Blue Jays. Just because he was non-tendered it doesn’t mean he can’t return on a cheaper deal.
Age: 29
2015 Stats: 52 PA, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .204/.250/.245, WAR -0.4, BP Framing: +0.5
Pros: R.A. Dickey remains most comfortable pitching to Thole and he spares Martin the physical beating that catching the knuckleball entails.
Cons: Thole’s skill set is extraordinarily specialized and if something were to happen to Dickey his usefulness would immediately dissipate.
Outlook: It would not be particularly surprising to see Thole back in the Blue Jays organization in some capacity in 2016, but he fits better as the third catcher on the depth chart.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Saltalamacchia is not dissimilar to Navarro in that he’s overqualified to be a backup, but he may not find a suitor willing to hand him a starting job. In May he was released by the Miami Marlins, but after signing on with the Arizona Diamondbacks he hit .251/.332/.474 down the stretch.
Age: 30
2015 Stats: 227 PA, 9 HR, 24 RBI, .225/.310/.435, WAR 0.8, BP Framing: -0.5
Pros: “Salty” may have been lost at the plate early in 2015, but it seems like he can still hit. He’s always been a solid offensive catcher and as recently as 2013 he was a great one. Saltalamacchia could fill in as a starter for an extended period if Russell Martin got injured.
Cons: Considering his starting pedigree he’ll won’t come cheap compared to other options. He also may be looking for more playing time to re-establish value. His defensive reputation is suspect and according to Baseball Prospectus his framing has cost his teams 63.8 runs in his career.
Outlook: Saltalamacchia might be a good fit and great insurance policy for the Blue Jays, but there’s a good chance he wouldn’t see enough of an opportunity for playing time in Toronto.
Jeff Mathis
Mathis is one of the least complicated players in the game. He’s a good catcher and he absolutely, positively does not hit.
Age: 32
2015 Stats: 103 PA, 2 HR, 12 RBI, .161/.214/.290, WAR -0.5, BP Framing: +4.7
Pros: WAR undersells his value because of his excellent receiving and game-calling skills. Defensively, he’s an asset.
Cons: He has no ability to contribute offensively.
Outlook: A retread, but a reliable one. Works as a backup, but a poor starter if a primary catcher goes down because he’s an offensive black hole.
