Cards renew LaRue a day after he flew

[Unassisted]

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/new...=.jsp&c_id=stl

Cards act quickly to bring back LaRue

Backup catcher re-signs a day after filing for free agency

By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Jason LaRue's time on the open market lasted barely 24 hours. A day after filing for free agency, LaRue re-signed with St. Louis. The catcher inked a one-year deal to return as the backup catcher for Yadier Molina. The move continued a pattern for the Cardinals, who usually act quickly to sign or re-sign their second catcher. According to The Associated Press, LaRue will receive $950,000.

"Jason was a great fit for our ballclub in the role that he served this past season," general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement issued by the team. "His contributions carried not only onto the field, but also in the clubhouse and away from the ballpark, where he provided a good veteran leadership."

LaRue, who will turn 35 in March, finished the year with a .213 batting average, a .296 on-base percentage and a .348 slugging percentage. He played 61 games, starting 44, and threw out eight of 21 would-be basestealers (38.1 percent).

LaRue's offensive numbers, however, may sell him a bit short. After an extremely rocky start to the season that may have been attributable to an ongoing recovery from knee troubles, he hit pretty effectively for the last 4 1/2 months. From May 11 on, LaRue batted .252 with a .306 on-base percentage and slugged .420, plenty productive for a backup catcher.

The move makes it clear that the Cardinals do not expect to begin the season with prospect Bryan Anderson on their Major League roster. Anderson, who will turn 22 in December, split 2008 between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, putting up a combined line of .308/.377/.416 (average/on-base/slugging) between the two levels.

The organization clearly still views Anderson as a catcher, though. He will catch in the Puerto Rican Winter League this offseason, backing up Molina on a team that will be managed by St. Louis third-base coach Jose Oquendo.

[4256 Hits]

Another sign that there really are not many good catchers in MLB!

[Heath]

I'm just having a hard time picturing Jason LaRue as 35.

[Sea Ray]

A day after he "flew"? Did he have a plane to catch or what?

[Unassisted]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

A day after he "flew"? Did he have a plane to catch or what?

Flew the Cardinals' coop by filing for free agency.

[Hap]

We can joke all we want, but.......

.......the truth is when healthy he is better defensively than anyone the Reds currently have or have had since he left........

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by Hap

We can joke all we want, but.......

.......the truth is when healthy he is better defensively than anyone the Reds currently have or have had since he left........

I disagree. He was good at throwing out runners but he was horrible in two other areas:

1) Passed balls/wild pitches

2) Tagging runners out at the plate. This was a huge hole in his game and it's hard to equate stats wise. During one of Bob Boone's years here I counted at least balls LaRue dropped while trying to field throws which had runners beaten at home plate. Putting a true value on this is problematic because the consequences are huge. If he fields it cleanly and tags the runner out it means just that: an out.

If he drops the ball, it not only costs your team an out, it costs them a run. Very few "errors" are so expensive to a team.

Overal LaRue was not a good defensive package IMO.

[RANDY IN INDY]

And a terrible receiver. The only plus part of his game was his throwing and in a league that doesn't run a lot, that is definitely overrated.

[Highlifeman21]

... but c'mon, who doesn't miss "Country Boy Can Survive" every time he came to the plate?

[remdog]

OK. But let me ask all of you that are bashing LaRue; who would you have rather had in 2008, Bako, Valentin or LaRue?

I know what my answer to that question is.

Rem

[BRM]

Originally Posted by remdog

OK. But let me ask all of you that are bashing LaRue; who would you have rather had in 2008, Bako, Valentin or LaRue?

I know what my answer to that question is.

Rem

Valentin had the best numbers of the three but he's brutal behind the plate. Can I choose "none of the above"? I liked Larue in his Cincy days, especially the 04-05 version. Not so much these days. However, if forced to choose between those three, I'd probably take Jason.

[remdog]

Originally Posted by BRM

Can I choose "none of the above"?

Sure. But that means the pitcher has to run to the backstop after every pitch to pick up the ball.

Rem

[BRM]

Originally Posted by remdog

Sure. But that means the pitcher has to run to the backstop after every pitch to pick up the ball.

Rem

I would hope a competent GM could find better options.

[remdog]

Originally Posted by BRM

I would hope a competent GM could find better options.

Well, sprinting to the backstop on every pitch would cut down on all of that running between starts.

Rem

[4256 Hits]

Originally Posted by remdog

Sure. But that means the pitcher has to run to the backstop after every pitch to pick up the ball.

Rem

This is when the pitchers pull from their "pitch to contact" exprience in the minors.