While it can be exciting, the off-season is a tough time for fans of Major League Baseball. It can certainly be a long winter without the game, but rumors and costless agent news will certainly keep the hot stove going. The anticipation and lack of knowledge in the off-season is almost as exciting as the season itself. To further explain the details behind this years costless agents some of the MLB staff at VAVEL USA have banded together to bring you up to speed with the 2014 costless agent class. Week by week, the team will publish a new piece details the top available players at each position.
Missy Metz:
A.J. Pierzinski
Age: 37
2014 teams: Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals
2014 stats: 102 games, 5HR, 37RBIs, .251 batting average.
Analysis: AJ Pierzinski has been on a decline over the last year. The 37-year-old backstop was supposed to be the starting catcher for the Red Sox, but was cut due to lack of production. With his prime years well behind him, it is clear that a starting role is not in his future. The St. Louis Cardinals picked him up via costless agency as a backup. That was a better move for him. At this point, retirement could be a route that he could take.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals will resign him to be the backup. He needs to go to a team that has a veteran catcher already and a team lacking a backup. The Cardinals have just that. With Yadier Molina playing the majority of the games this makes the most sense. Pierzinski then would only have to play more than a handful of games if Molina gets injured.
Wil Nieves
Age: 37
2014 team: Philadelphia Phillies
2014 stats: 36 games, .254AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, .270 OBS
Analysis: Wil Nieves didn't play much last season. The Phillies have a great catcher in Carlos Ruiz and that made a difference. He really wasn't an offensive factor in 2014. However, he's not really known to be one. He averages one home run per season. He only gets a handful of runs batted in per year.
Prediction: The Baltimore Orioles. The team is in need of catching behind Matt Weiters. Weiters plays the majority of the games therefore, he would only play a few. The Orioles need depth at back up catching. By adding him they can add to the depth. He's a veteran that provides experience to this young team. Plus, he wouldn't cost that much so they could still sign other costless agents.
Raymond Bureau:
John Buck
Age: 34
2014 Teams: Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels
2014 Stats: 97 PA, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .225 BA, .289 OBP, .570 OPS, WAR 0.0
Analysis: Buck signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Mariners last January. He played in only 27 games before the Mariners released him on July 15. One week later, he signed with the Angels and made only five plate appearances in September, hitting safely once. The Angels designated him for assignment, and he is now a costless agent.
At this point in his career, Buck figures to be a backup catcher. He has played in a total of only 142 games for four different teams in the past two seasons: New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Mariners, and Angels. His best offensive season came in 2010 with the Toronto Blue Jays when he hit .281 with 20 HR and 66 RBI, and his career high 140 games played occurred in 2011 with the then-Florida Marlins.
Buck has played for seven different teams in his 11-year career and six of them occurring from 2010-2014. He has compiled Major League totals of .234, 134 HR, 491 RBI, and a 5.0 total WAR. While he appears no longer as an offensive threat, he could provide any team with a solid and experienced backup catcher who has decent power.
Prediction: Buck may have to find a team willing to offer him a Minor-League contract as the Angels did mid-season. The catching market is thin, and given his lack of playing time, especially this year, Buck may have to take whatever offer he gets.
Ryan Doumit
Age: 34 just as 2015 season begins
2014 Team: Atlanta Braves
2014 Stats: PA 166, 5 HR, 17 RBI, .197 BA, .235 OBP, .553 WAR, -0.4
Analysis: Doumit’s production has dropped off significantly in each of the past four years. From 2011-2014, he has hit .303, .275, .247, and .197, respectively. He shared time behind the plate with Evan Gattis and Gerald Laird in Atlanta this past season after coming to the Braves in a trade from Minnesota last December. With his drop in production this year, he will likely not make the $3.5 million-salary that he has in each of the past two seasons.
Liam McMahon:
Nick Hundley
Age: 30
2014 Team: San Diego Padres/Baltimore Orioles
2014 Stats: 233 PA, 6 HR, 22 RBI, .243 BA, .273 OBP, .63 OPS, WAR 0.0
Analysis: Hundley was traded to the Orioles this May after All-Star catcher Matt Wieters had to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Hundley was not picked up to be a star, and while his veteran presence aided the Royals during their pennant race he is not Wieters. Therefore, it was not too big of a surprise to see his $5 million option not picked up and he will now be searching for a team this offseason.
He is not the most durable of catchers, and has yet to start more than 114 games in any season. That season was 2011, and apart from that year Hundley has never played more than his 85 games in 2010. His highest single-season batting average came in 2011, when he batted .288 across 83 games. He really isn’t going to provide too much of a spark to a team that needs it, but he will be a good defensive catcher who happens to be a decent hitter. Expect a young team searching for a veteran presence to go in for him, even just as a back-up.
Prediction: Chicago Cubs. The Cubs are building a nice, young roster and could use a solid, stoic veteran presence in the clubhouse. His numbers last year exceeded that of both Welington Castillo and John Baker who split time behind the plate for the Cubs. With new manager Joe Maddon coming in, he will likely be looking for that sort of calming presence and he would represent a clear upgrade on their current catching options.
Gerald Laird
Age: 34
2014 Team: Atlanta Braves
2014 Stats: PA 167, 0 HR, 10 RBI, .204 BA, .275 OBP, .532 OPS, -0.5
Analysis: The 34-year-old journeyman clearly regressed last season. Although he has spent the last two seasons playing a bit part role for the Braves, his offensive output fell off the face of the Earth last year. His batting average plunged from .281 to .204, slugging percentage fell from .372 to .257, and his on base percentage went from .367 to .275. Laird is clearly not the ballplayer he used to be, and he probably only has a couple of years left in the league. As the Braves look to improve to get back into the playoffs, don’t expect them to try and re-sign Laird.
Prediction: Detroit Tigers. The Tigers went all in this year, but after picking up a bunch of truly However, one of the few positions they can legitimately hope to improve is at catcher. Every day starter Alex Avila only batted .218 this season, and back-up Bryan Holaday did not convince as someone who can legitimately be a Major League player. They have a very exciting prospect in 24-year-old James McCann who will likely be promoted from AAA-Toledo, but a senior presence in the locker room could really help them and in particular him next season.
Colton Swanson:
J.P Arencibia
Age: 29
2014 Team: Texas Rangers
2014 stats: 222 PA, 10 HR, 35 RBI, .177 AVG, .239 OBP, .608 OPS, -1.0 WAR
Analysis: Arencibia has seen a greatly reduced role over his recent tenure in Texas. The power has always been there, hitting 64 long balls in 4 years with Toronto, however, JP Arencibia has never been consistent. His career high batting average lies at a dismal .233 mark, making him a platoon man at best. Arencibia could also serve as a good veteran presence and mentor for a young catcher. It is not likely that Arencibia will return to the Rangers and will be on the prowl for a short term contract in hopes of
Prediction: Seattle Mariners. Arencibia would be a great mentor for young Mike Zunino, who mashed over 20 home runs in 2014. While Jesus Sucre remains second on the depth chart for the M's, it seems that a player who has been around for a while could serve a great deal of impact for the M's and their young catchers along with being an interesting power threat off the bench. John Buck played in a similar role in 2014.
David Ross
Age: 37
2014 Team: Boston Red Sox
2014 Stats: 171 PA, 7 HR, 15 RBI, .184 AVG, .260 OBP, .629 OPS, -0.3 WAR
Analysis: Playing for the 2013 World Series Champions was not easy in 2014, as the Red Sox finished 71-91, good for last in the AL East. Ross himself was not much of a contributor. With only 171 plate appearances, how could he have been? Ross has played in over 100 games just one time in his career, so the platoon role is not much of a surprise to the Brave. It would seem that would be a decent veteran presence in any clubhouse, but not much more than that. He owns a career .233 batting average with 95 home runs in 13 years of experience. Ross is not much of an offensive threat, leaving his future in doubt.
Prediction: Retirement. Ross will not likely find a team this winter, leaving him on the Costless Agent list during the 2015 season. At that point, it would not be a surprise to see David Ross cut his losses and retire from baseball.
Geovony Soto
Age: 31
2014 Team: Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics
2014 Stats: 87 PA, 1 HR, 11 RBI, .250 AVG, .302 OBP, .794 OPS, 0.1 WAR
Analysis: 2014 is not a good indicator of the type of player Geovony Soto is. Soto received only 87 plate appearances due to injury and played in only 24 games between the Rangers and A’s. Soto owns a career .248 batting average with 92 home runs in 10 years. In 2008, Soto played in 141 games, a career high. The backstop hit 23 home runs with 86 RBI and even made the All-Star Team while playing for the Cubs. Soto played in over 100 games from 2008-2011. He will be with a team next year, especially with his potential power.
Prediction: Oakland Athletics. The A’s have played around with different catchers over the last few years, including John Jaso and Derek Norris. Soto is a good fit as a platoon man in Oakland and has the power to be a late inning pinch hit type player while also starting a game here and there.
Russell Martin
Age: 31
2014 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
2014 Stats: 460 PA, 11 HR, 67 RBI, .290 AVG, .402 OBP, .832 OPS, 5.5 WAR
Analysis: Russell Martin has become one of the better catchers in the MLB, hitting for both power and average. Martin is a 3 time All Star who owns a .259 career batting average. Martin is also very durable. He has played in less than 100 games only once in his 9 year career. Martin also has some wheels for a catcher, with 93 stolen bases in his 9 year career. He has been a member of both playoff teams the Pirates have produced this century.
Prediction: Pittsburgh Pirates. It has been mentioned that the Blue Jays may pursue the catcher this offseason, but Martin has been one of the many heart and soul players in Pittsburgh. The Pirates will likely extend a qualifying offer to Martin and if he were to accept it, he would make over $15 million in 2015. If Martin were to play the market, he would surely receive a multiyear deal, but could earn less money annually.