Catching depth
Monday, January 7th, 2008I’ve been impressed by the crop of free catching talent Omar has brought in this offseason — Brian Schneider aside. The Mets now have some decent catching depth in the minors.
Luis Alen - Age 22 - Purchased from Winnipeg of the Northern League
Alen has a reputation as a defensive specialist, but hit .333/.396/.453 during a breakout season in the Northern League. He played four seasons in the Marlins’ chain before being released in 2005. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 3 prospect in indy baseball in 2007.
Robinson Cancel - Age 31 - Re-signed
Cancel doesn’t offer anything offensively, but he provides solid defense and a veteran presence for young pitchers.
Raul Casanova - Age 35 - Signed to a minor-league contract
As the Mets’ third catcher, Casanova offers the team an option who can actually hit, which will come in handy when he’s inevitably called upon sometime this season. Though his defense is poor, he has a strong arm, which makes him less of a liability behind the plate. He’s a better player than some starting major-league catchers (see: Kendall, Jason) and almost all major-league backups.
Ralph Henriquez - Age 20 - Acquired from Houston for RP-L Josh Appell
Henriquez was the Astros’ second-round draft pick in the 2005 amateur draft out of a Key West, Fla., high school. At the time, scouts raved that he was a complete player who was solid defensively and offered gap-to-gap power. But after hitting .206/.249/.312 over three seasons, he needed a fresh start. He’s not a bad pickup for Appell, 24, who went undrafted as a college senior and hasn’t yet graduated from the short-season leagues.
Salomon Manriquez - Age 25 - Signed to a minor-league contract
Manriquez has hit .264/.332/.450 with 26 HR in 586 AB’s in AA over the past two seasons. Originally signed by the Expos in 1999, Manriquez followed up a breakout 2005 season with a 2006 Futures Game appearance. He offers consistent power production and a solid approach.
Gustavo Molina - Age 25 - Signed to a minor-league contract
Molina made his major-league debut in 2007, splitting 27 ABs between the White Sox and Orioles. Though not related to The Catching Molinas (he’s Venezuelan, they’re Puerto Rican), Gustavo offers a similar game. His career minor-league line of .241/.304/.347 leaves a lot to be desired, but defense has been his calling card.
Salvador Paniagua - Age 24 - Signed to a minor-league contract
Originally signed in 2001 out of the Dominican Republic by the Red Sox, Paniagua offers plus defense and an emerging bat. He took a step forward offensively in 2007, posting a .282/.328/.542 line mostly in the hitter-friendly High-A California League, though he still has a lot to learn — evident from his 12/70 BB/K in 2007. If he can hit enough to be serviceable in the batter’s box, his defense could play as a major-league backup some day.
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With a total lack of catching talent riddling the system, this crop will take the starting and reserve roles at AAA and AA. Mike Nickeas will also be in the mix.
Alen will probably platoon with Sean McCraw at High-A St. Lucie, and Henriquez most likely will begin the season at Low-A Savannah. Talk about overhauls: Omar added an entire farm system’s worth of catching depth in two months.