How Do You Solve The Catching Problem?

[strumdatjaguar]

Too early to give up on Garver.   Rotvedt (you spell it) is meanwhile rising thru the minors. 

[yarnivek1972]

An experienced journalist learns how to deal with unattributed sources. No pitcher wants to see his name in the paper throwing Garver under the bus. If Reusse asks, say, Gibson, "do you prefer throwing to Bobby Wilson," Gibby might smile and say, "look, I'm not going to say that." It's his way of not saying what he's saying - he could answer a different way if he really had no opinion. Although I'm inventing this particular dialog, I presume Reusse got a few of those, and decided it was solid enough to run with. The turn of phrase isn't literal, but gets the meaning across.

Because Reusse isn’t known to pile the bulls@@it either...

[jorgenswest]

Garver seems to catch Lynn and Odorizzi. Wilson has been catching Gibson and more recently is also catching Berrios. The 5th starter has been going more often to Wilson. Garver did catch Slegers awful appearance. Wilson’s share increased when he started being matched with Berrios.

 

Garver is getting enough opportunities. He needs to earn more starts with his play behind the plate. He doesn’t need to be starting every day. He needs to do well with every opportunity he is given.

[Monkeypaws]

 

Too early to give up on Garver.   Rotvedt (you spell it) is meanwhile rising thru the minors. 

Absolutely. He is a rookie after all, no?

[Mike Sixel]

 

Garver seems to catch Lynn and Odorizzi. Wilson has been catching Gibson and more recently is also catching Berrios. The 5th starter has been going more often to Wilson. Garver did catch Slegers awful appearance. Wilson’s share increased when he started being matched with Berrios.

Garver is getting enough opportunities. He needs to earn more starts with his play behind the plate. He doesn’t need to be starting every day. He needs to do well with every opportunity he is given.

 

As opposed to Wilson who can't hit at all? Why doesn't he have to earn his starts?

 

This is no way to build for 2019 and beyond. Or even win this year.

[jorgenswest]

As opposed to Wilson who can't hit at all? Why doesn't he have to earn his starts?

 

This is no way to build for 2019 and beyond. Or even win this year.

It isn’t as clear to me that Garver gives them a better chance to win if he were to get one or two more starts a week particularly if starting Garver means shorter starts and more burden on the bullpen.

 

I don’t know if that is the case but the Twins leadership is playing a catcher with a very poor bat frequently.

 

Perhaps they are completely inept in which case the situation is hopeless and it doesn’t matter which flawed catcher they start.

[Mike Sixel]

It isn’t as clear to me that Garver gives them a better chance to win if he were to get one or two more starts a week particularly if starting Garver means shorter starts and more burden on the bullpen.

 

I don’t know if that is the case but the Twins leadership is playing a catcher with a very poor bat frequently.

 

Perhaps they are completely inept in which case the situation is hopeless and it doesn’t matter which flawed catcher they start.

 

Both catchers have issues....

[USAFChief]

Both catchers have issues....

Mike...forgive me if I'm wrong, but I dont believe you watch games, correct?

 

Watch some.

 

Garver is pretty rough behind the plate. Bad hands, stabs at pitches that aren't exactly where he sets up.

 

He's not a good defensive catcher. And I think most baseball people put a pretty high value on good catching.

 

Now I agree there is no future in Wilson, but in terms of 2018, I personally think the Twins, until they're out of it, are going to give Wilson a lot of play. And its hard for me to get worked up about it. It's also not like Garver is a great hitter. Decent, but nothing special.

[Rosterman]

The Big Issue is Jason Castro is still under contract for next season and he probably gives you everything you need in a defense catcher. You have Garver as a backup. That the powers-that-be don't think Garver is capable of being a full-time (i.e. 115 games) catcher is the signal that they need to address getting a third person and let Garver just be a bench bat who can also play sometimes in the field. I doubt anything will happen until after NEXT SEASON when the Twins can explore any free agent possibilities, unless they can grab someone from somewhere that has a guaranteed 2-3 years behind-the-plate until someone from the farm arrives in 2020 or 2021. You can also explore BUYING a catcher, but then you run into the issues of a longterm contract to an aging vet who may suffer concussion issues and needs to be moved to first base, so you have the catching problem all over again.

 

And if pitchers hate throwing to Garver, is it the youngsters he HAS worked with in minor league ball, or the vets? Do you want to sacrifice bat for modest framing more often than not? Is Garver working hard to improve his game?

 

You can have a Mendoza-line batter behind-the-plate if you are a competing team and EVERYONE else is performing at or above stated levels of play. If you don't feel Garver can cut it, then he needs to be gone and replaced by someone who can basically give you what he is giving you, part-time play with the thought of being an adequate regular and then a backupo again when someone younger comes up to the big leagues.

 

The problem is that MANY OTHER TEAMS are looking for the same!

[Mike Sixel]

Mike...forgive me if I'm wrong, but I dont believe you watch games, correct?

 

Watch some.

 

Garver is pretty rough behind the plate. Bad hands, stabs at pitches that aren't exactly where he sets up.

 

He's not a good defensive catcher. And I think most baseball people put a pretty high value on good catching.

 

Now I agree there is no future in Wilson, but in terms of 2018, I personally think the Twins, until they're out of it, are going to give Wilson a lot of play. And its hard for me to get worked up about it. It's also not like Garver is a great hitter. Decent, but nothing special.

It is true, I am too cheap to watch games... Especially after getting laid off, I cut a lot of subscriptions. But I have read what you all say, and I get the argument. I'm not sure how bad he'd have to be for me to have basically the hitting quality of a pitcher at catcher, though.

 

But I understand the argument.