SOX SPOTLIGHT : The Catchers

The Boston Red Sox are loaded with catchers that any team would be lucky to have. Though all of them are very solid, they all have their major flaws making the decision of who will get the opening day start very difficult. Let’s take a look at each of the three Sox backstops and evaluate their risk/reward:

Blake Swihart

At first glance, Swihart is the most appealing option to start the season for the team. Yet, when you take a closer look you realize the MLB is no place for him yet. He offers a ton of offensive upside at a position that is typically regarded as weak offensively. The now 24 year old was a former top 20 prospect in the minors that flashed an ability to hit for average while providing some pop in the lineup. To be fair, he hit pretty well in 2015 in almost half the season with the big league club. However, behind the plate Blake looked lost and his recent struggles throwing the ball back to the pitcher suggest that he is probably not major league ready behind the plate. Does his offensive upside outweigh his defensive liability? In my opinion not at all. Swihart threw out under 30% of runners in 2016 which is horrible. Considering how good this lineup is anyways, Swihart would be the worst hitter on the team. The Sox need a general calling the games for the new and improved pitching staff and Swihart, is not that. I would start him in AAA until he can prove his defense is up to par with his offense.

Sandy Leon

Sox fans love Sandy Leon. Through his first 4 seasons (73 total games), he was a .183 hitter. So why was he still in the league? Its simple, Sandy Leon is one of the most intelligent catchers in the game and has a great ability to toss out runners. In fact, he has the best arm in the Sox organization. His ability to call a game is up to par with guys like Posey and Molina. He makes every pitcher better. I mean Rick Porcello won a Cy Young with Leon calling the shots. Along with that, Sandy found himself offensively last season. Was his .310 average a fluke? More than likely. But even if Leon drops down to being a .250 hitter in 2017, his defense surely outweighs the lack of offense. Being a .250 hitting catcher with top 3 game calling ability makes him one of the better catchers in the league. With guys like Sale, Price and Porcello taking the mound this season, I want Sandy Leon behind the plate as much as possible. I would make him the opening day starter, though Farrell might have other plans.

Christian Vazquez

Vazquez is a great defensive catcher, no doubt. Though his game calling ability may be below Leon’s, it is still above average. He threw out only 35% of runners in 2016 which was down from a whopping 50% in 2015. Which one of those are the real Vazquez remains to be seen. He is a below average hitter, like most catchers. If he were to start the season as the starting catcher I wouldn’t be surprised, however it is not the move i would make. However, we do know what we will get from him given the chance to be the starter. Vazquez offers above average defense with slightly below average offense at his position.