Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Red Sox offseason primer: Catching

BOSTON -- The Red Sox have a "problem" many teams wish they had: not one, but two highly regarded young catchers. Christian Vazquez beat the projected timetable for his arrival to the big leagues and proved a defensive sensation; switch-hitting Blake Swihart, meanwhile, continued his swift rise through the system, starring in both Portland and Pawtucket, and has a huge potential upside.

How they factor into the Sox future will be one of the major questions facing Boston GM Ben Cherington this winter.

Here is Part 3 of our position-by-position breakdown:

Performance this season (major league rankings):

  • Batting average: .230, 25th

  • On-base percentage: .285, 24th

  • Slugging percentage: .341, 26th

  • Home runs: 11, 23rd

  • Offensive WAR: 0.9, 25th

  • Wins Above Replacement: 0.6, 24th

  • Errors: 16, 27th

  • Caught stealing: 28 percent, 14th

  • Total Zone Runs Above Average: -2, 17th

Catchers used, offensive stats: A.J. Pierzynski, 62 G, .252/.285/.343/.628, 3 HR, 28 RBIs; Christian Vazquez, 51 G, .243/.311/.312/.623, 1 HR, 20 RBIs; David Ross, 49 G, .184/.260/.368/.629, 7 HR, 15 RBIs; Daniel Butler, 6 G, .211/.250/.368/.618, 0 HR, 2 RBIs.

Catchers used, defensive stats: A.J. Pierzynski, 9 out of 47 caught stealing, 19 percent, 3 errors, -4 Total Zone Runs Above Average; Christian Vazquez, 15 out of 29 CS, 52 percent, 4 TZRAA, 5 errors; David Ross, 9 out of 41 CS, 22 percent, -2 TZRAA, 7 errors; Daniel Butler 0 out of 3 CS, 0 percent, -1 TZRAA, 1 error.

Best performance: Rookie Christian Vazquez evoked comparisons to Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina with his defensive excellence and ability to shut down a running game.

Biggest disappointment: A.J. Pierzynski didn't come close to giving the Sox the offensive production they expected, which made his subpar defense less tolerable; Pierzynski was released.

Biggest surprise: Vazquez is hardly a surprise; his defense was the talk of camp this past spring, but his transition to the big leagues could not have been more impressive.

Summary: The Red Sox were not willing to sign Jarrod Saltalamacchia for more than two years, believing that Pierzynski could serve as an adequate one-year bridge to Vazquez. That did not happen, leaving a void both on the field and in the clubhouse. Ross's performance also dropped off, as the Red Sox lost their gamble of carrying two 37-year-old catchers. Vazquez, however, gave a glimpse of an exciting future.

Potential free-agent targets: Gerald Laird, John Buck, Geovany Soto

Potential trade targets: Yasmani Grandal, Nick Hundley, Martin Maldonado

Prospects in the system: Blake Swihart

Outlook for 2015: Vazquez enters the 2015 season as the clear choice to assume the role of the team's No. 1 catcher, with a defensive skill set that already places him among the game's elite. The Sox may look for an upgrade over Ross as backup, although his ability to mentor Vazquez and be a strong clubhouse presence should not be dismissed out of hand. The biggest question facing the Sox is whether to keep Swihart, who has been favorably compared to Buster Posey, or use him in a trade for an elite pitcher or position player.

Scout's take: The only question for Vazquez is whether he will hit. He's going to be at least a backup for a decade or more. He has great defensive skills. I'm told his preparation is tremendous; he does all the right things from the defensive side, including carrying out game plans well. That's the main thing a staff looks for, if a guy can carry out a game plan. That's a huge part of it. The comparisons to Molina are not a stretch by any means. It's not just his arm and his release. It's putting the right finger down, the consistent job he does blocking balls in the dirt, framing pitches, handling the pitching staff. And if you recall, Yadi did not hit much in the beginning, either. Is the bat going to be enough? If you surround him with enough other bats, you can handle a .230 hitter. Swihart, I have not seen much of but have heard his name plenty of times. He will be in demand.

Does Ross come back? Depends what's out there in terms of an alternative. His bat's going to be an issue -- the wear and tear. I certainly don't think Ross could play six days a week in case something happens to Vazquez, and a team always has to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Just as with pitching, you need inventory at catcher, too. Butler is OK, but I don't think he excites too many people.

^ Back to Top ^