The Reds system is almost bare of quality catching. How about a catcher with their first pick?
The Reds system is almost bare of quality catching. How about a catcher with their first pick?
The Reds just need to take the best player, they need help in all areas. The have more top quality then they've had in while but they are lacking in quantity.
Catcher is the one position that holds more 'total bust' risk than high school pitching. The only way I take a catcher in the 1st round is if his bat is good enough to get him drafted as a first baseman. Problem is, guys like Joe Mauer only show up once every 10 years or so.
Im not disagreeing with anything you say, but we need some quality catching in our minor league system. Maybe not with the first pick, but we should have some catchers in the June draft.
I agree about the bust potential with catchers, but with the extra early picks I'd like to see at least one go toward a solid all-around catching prospect.
Problem is all around catchers come around twice in a generation maybe. Hitting catchers usually cant play defense. Good defensive catchers hit like Chad Moeller. I will be happy as long as we take the best player available.Originally Posted by corkedbat
I would never take a catcher in the first 3 rounds. Just think how little it costs to sign a good free agent catcher compared to a good free agent pitcher.
Benjie Molina - 3 years, $16,000,000 or 5.3 million/year
Ted Lilly - 4 years, $40,000,000 or 10 million/year
Jeff Suppan - 4 years, $42,000,000 or 10.5 million/year
Here's an interesting perspective that I think proves the point of those who say you're better off not drafting a catcher in the 1st round. Here's the list of Reds selected catchers who played with our club since Johnny Bench came along and where they were drafted.
The most solid of these for the Reds, aside from HOF'er JB were Oliver, Taubensee and LaRue. Since Bench, we've probably had as many catchers come from elsewhere than we've developed.Jason LaRue 5th round
Dane Sardinha 2nd round
Miguel Perez Free Agent
Eddie Taubensee 6th round *
Joe Oliver 2nd round
Dan Wilson 1st round **
Terry McGriff 8th round
Steve Christmas Free Agent
Johnny Bench 2nd round
* Drafted by the Reds, traded away and then returned after starting his career elsewhere
** Drafted by the Reds, short call up then traded to Seattle where he had a decent career
Free Agent here means they signed their first professional contract with the Reds, not through the draft.
(An aside, the drafting of Sardinha in 2000 was an absolute disaster. Along with the 1st round pick, both signed major league contracts and we ended up losing both - really just a horrible draft. I just checked to see players drafted after Sardinha - the one that jumped out at me in the 3rd round was Grady Sizemore. And we took another player in the 2nd round too - Ryan Snare - ugh, what a terrible year in the draft for us)
Last edited by redsmetz; 04-29-2007 at 08:59 AM.
I hope this link works, but here's one catcher that could be a possibility, though I don't know when he would be a reasonable pick. I think the 42nd round pick from last year was because he had made it clear he was returing to school for his senior year. He seems to be a good hitter, though I know nothing of his defensive skills.
http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php...ange_well_id=2
This year, his numbers are .348, .438, .618, 9 HRs, 58 RBIs in 178 abs.
This link shows his full stats: http://www.ukathletics.com/stats/200...l/teamcume.htm
At least Sean Coughlin could be a name to keep in mind for the draft.
These are all good points.That being said, weneed young catchers drafted. I would be as willing to have one drafted in the 1st round as in the 42nd round, but we need some quality prospects at the catching position. If we could sign a young quality catcher as a free agent, I would not be against that.
Here's an article on Coughlin which says he could have been picked in the top 10 rounds last year, so perhaps he would be a candidate for a similar slot now.
Coughlin Article
I like what I've read about Danny Rams, and Keith Law's latest projection shows that he should be available at pick 53 for the Reds. A high school kid, though, so by the time he's ready it might not be a need any more, though I suspect it will.
he reminds me by looking at his picture of the Yankees catcher..Posada!
What I don't understand is why more guys aren't attempted to converting them into catchers. As bad as the Reds depth at catcher is - you'd think they would as an organization identify what skills are important to catchers and see where they could do some shifting.
HS coaches don't always have the kids in their best positions.
Russ Martin - probably one of the best young catchers in the game, was drafted as 3rd baseman and moved - the Dodgers saw his potential and moved him immediately. We need more of that.
That's why I do like the Buckley style of draft guys who can play in the middle and figure out later where the chips fall. You can always move guys from the middle (2B, SS, CF) elsewhere, but it's nearly impossible to go the other direction.
We drafted Bench; we may never find another Bench, but we can find another good catcher.
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