Twins 2018 Position Analysis: Catcher

Projected Starter: Jason Castro

Likely Backup: Mitch Garver

Depth: Bobby Wilson, Willians Astudillo, Brian Navarreto

Prospects: David Banuelos, Ben Rortvedt

THE GOOD

By signing Jason Castro to a three-year deal within his first few weeks on the job, GM Thad Levine was laying groundwork for a sustained platoon set-up at the catcher position. This year, we'll see that plan come to fruition.

Mitch Garver, one of the best catching prospects developed by the Twins in some time, was nearing readiness a year ago but not quite there. Chris Gimenez was signed as a stopgap so Garver could continue growing in the minors.

And grow he did.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season at Rochester, with his offensive production elevating from good to great for the first time. He was especially effective against left-handed pitchers, slashing .290/.408/.530 with a 17% walk rate. That of course makes him an ideally suited complement to the lefty-hitting Twins incumbent.

Castro actually didn't hit very well against right-handed pitchers in 2017, batting .234 with a .379 slugging percentage, but that's a departure from his career norm. And despite the overall struggles he still managed a 12.5% walk rate.

In a potentially stacked Twins lineup, production at catcher figures to be a relative luxury. If Castro and Garver stay healthy, there's enough OBP floor here to suggest they'll at least keep the position from being a liability.

Catcher is a punishing, brutal assignment however. The likelihood of both players avoiding the disabled list all summer is not high, and that's where things get a little dubious here.

THE BAD

The Twins are showing a ton of confidence in Garver, despite his .636 OPS during a brief MLB debut last year. They've given him a clear and unobstructed path to a roster spot as Castro's caddy – a significant role that should yield 200-300 plate appearances, and perhaps more if performance warrants.

This is nice to see. The Twins are going all-in on a homegrown player who has absolutely earned the opportunity. But the degree to which they've put their eggs in the Garver basket borders on brazen.

We're still in the first week of March, and both of Minnesota's top two catchers on the depth chart have already experienced minor health issues. Castro's been kept out of the lineup in recent days by migraines. Garver tweaked his knee last week seriously enough to require tests, but got good news from his scans, which showed no significant damage.

If either player encounters a more substantial injury this month and needs to open the season on the disabled list, the Twins are presently lined up to go with Bobby Wilson on the 25-man roster. He's 34, hasn't surfaced in the majors since 2016, and owns a .587 big-league OPS. The two other guys getting reps in camp, Willians Astudillo and Brian Navarreto, have never played in the majors.

Astudillo, I will say, is a little intriguing. He's never been much of a prospect but batted .342 in 36 games with Arizona's Triple-A affiliate last year, and more recently had an excellent showing in the Venezuelan Winter League. He never strikes out and is still only 26. Maybe there's something there.

But, intrigue aside, the Twins have little in the way of established, viable MLB depth behind Castro and Garver. Navarreto has a .203 lifetime average in the minors, and the club's top upcoming prospects at the position – Rortvedt and Banuelos – have yet to reach Double-A.

Possible injuries aren't the only concern stemming from Minnesota's lack of proven catching contingencies. Garver himself is unproven. He hit .196 in a month-long stint with the Twins last year and we hardly saw him tested defensively at the highest level. (He caught only 50 innings in six weeks with the club.)

Because he'll have a low-pressure role, a high concentration of at-bats against southpaws, and plenty of days off from catching to rest his legs, Garver is being given almost ideal circumstances for a smooth transition into the majors. But he's still gotta do it. And if he's not up to the task, the Twins really don't have much in the way of fallback options at this point.

THE BOTTOM LINE

As you'll see throughout this series, the Twins have done well to build ample depth at almost every position. Catcher is an exception. If Garver gets overwhelmed, or gets hurt, or Castro gets hurt, this team could be in a tough spot. And, realistically, one of those things is probably going to happen at some point.

At the same time, their ability to address this issue is limited. The Twins seem to be telling Garver, "The job is yours, you don't need to 'earn' it with your play in spring training, we're giving you a full shot here so go get it." Which is great! But it makes Minnesota an unappealing destination for any prospective addition who deserves to be in the majors. Even if a remaining free agent like Geovany Soto, Carlos Ruiz or Jonathan Lucroy reaches a point where he's willing to settle for a low-stakes minor-league contract, it won't be with a team that gives him almost zero opportunity to win even a backup job.

Castro is a well established commodity at this point. He's a safe bet for an OPS around .700 with steady defense behind the plate. In 2017 he anchored a position that collectively finished with a .703 OPS, good for 10th in the American League.

Garver represents the team's best chance to move the needle. He brings more to the table than Gimenez skill-wise, so if things click Garver could fuel big improvement for this unit.

But right now, he's an unknown, and one of the biggest wild cards on the roster.