Three Late-Round Fantasy Catchers Worth Watching

I’d love to discuss Kelly Shoppach and Ramon Hernandez here, but in two-catcher leagues, it’s unlikely that they are going to be available late in your draft. The same could be said for A.J. Pierzynski, Dioner Navarro, and Yadier Molina. 

So what catcher can you get in the last few rounds?  Here’s a few sleeper options that I think could have breakout campaigns:

Jesus Flores - Washington Nationals

I spoke about him as a sleeper for the Washington Nationals (you can view it by clicking here), so we’ve already covered the basics, but let’s dig in a little bit further.

He showed the ability to be a run producer, ranking 11th among catchers last season despite just 301 at bats.  He also has shown the power potential, with 21 HR at Single A back in 2006.

Yes, the average is a concern, but keep in mind that he has had just 540 AB above Single A and all but 59 of those have come in the major leagues.  At 24-years old, it should not be surprising that he needs more time to adjust to hitting against top level pitchers, especially with the pressures of being a catcher.

That’s a lot to put on anyone with limited experience.

The fact that he’s shown signs of success is a shining light and shows his true potential.  His .256 average last season came courtesy of a repeatable BABIP of .321, so it’s his eye at the plate that needs addressing.

He struck out 25.9% of the time last season vs. a walk rate of just 4.7 percent. In ‘06 he struck out 127 times at Single A, so the idea of him significantly improving may not be a good one.  Still, the potential in the power department outweighs the risk in average.

Even with Adam Dunn in the mix, Flores should continue to be a solid option for RBI hitting near the middle of the Nationals order.  From a position that had just 10 players who drove in 60 runs or more, there certainly is a lot of value in nabbing Flores, even with the potential .250 average.

John Baker - Florida Marlins

This is a reach, and one that should really be used in a last resort situation only.  He showed plenty of upside last season, hitting .299 in 197 AB, and likely enters 2009 as the Marlins starter behind the plate (though, the Ivan Rodriguez rumors persist).

The problem is that he’s just a career .276 hitter in the minor leagues with 45 HR over 2,108 AB, including parts of five seasons in the high-powered Pacific Coast League.  He also is not your typical sophomore, entering 2009 as a 28-year old.

Maybe he turned the corner, hitting .321 at Triple A before his recall last season, but he still had just six HR and like most catchers, offers no speed potential at all. That certainly limits his potential value, because all he brings to the table is potential help in the average department.

Given his minor league track record, that is far from a guarantee.  He is the best option the Marlins have right now, which makes him worth monitoring and if you are left with no other option, makes him worth the gamble.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t offer much in the way of upside potential.

Jarrod Saltalamaccia - Texas Rangers

Will he be the Rangers starting catchers, or won’t he?  That’s one of the reasons he’s not being drafted very highly. Of course, his career .261 average with 14 HR over 506 AB is another reason.

Though, why exactly? That amounts to basically a full season of AB, so how bad is that compared to other catchers who may be available to you? Last season, only nine catchers hit at least 15 HR, meaning that Salty has the potential to be one of the better power catchers available on draft day.

He also showed the power in the minor leagues, with 48 HR in 1401 AB, though the majority of those came in the lower levels (only 55 AB at Triple A).

His average has got to be a concern, having struck out over 37 percent of the time last season. I know, he hit .253, but that came courtesy of a BABIP of .388.  I would expect the strikeout rate to significantly decrease, meaning that a lower BABIP will not significantly reduce his average, if at all.

I’m not really concerned there, especially for a player I’d draft as my second catcher.

No, the bigger concern is the playing time.  It’s long been believed that Salty would have to move from behind the plate, with teams already toying with him at 1B.  Unfortunately, with Chris Davis and Hank Blalock in the fold, that seems unlikely.

He could see time as DH, as well as behind the plate (sharing time with Taylor Teagarden & Max Ramirez), meaning I could easily see him having value.

I know he hasn’t lived up to the hype. I know he hasn’t been the player that everyone imagined, but that does not mean he lacks value. Even if he just continues as the player he has already shown, he has value as a second catcher with upside, making him worth the gamble.

So there you have it.  Are you interested in any of these three catchers?  Is there anyone else you are targeting in the last few rounds of your draft?

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