Curt Casali on High Heat

[Mitri]

If the Reds can unload Tucker’s entire contract it probably gives them an extra $1.5MM or so to play with this year, and also saves them from paying Tucker’s buyout a year from now.

The time to trade Barnhart is now. I’d be shopping him hard.

[Kc61]

I don't think dividing the PT by which hand they hit with makes much sense since Barnhart doesn't hit much either way and Stephenson is better paired with more veteran pitchers as he's breaking into the big leagues. Generally, Casali plays when Castillo and Mahle pitch, while the less experienced Stephenson catches the vets Miley, Lorenzen and Gray. It doesn't have to be set in stone and will vary based on who is banged up or who is hot, but I think it makes sense given Castillo's success with Casali and Stephenson's lack of experience.

Besides, I want fewer lefty bats in the line-up since the shift has them all baffled. Barnhart seems the one to go. Stephenson's RH pop balances the line-up a bit.

Inconvenient fact for your argument is Casali’s a lifetime .682 OPS hitter against RHP - which the Reds face most of the time.

Offensively, Casali’s strength (against lefties) is redundant of Stephenson. Or you can sit RH power man Tyler against LHP - which would be ridiculous.

Issue is if Casali's defense is worth a .682 hitter in lineup against RHP. All around, against RHP, I’d just as soon have Barnhart, lifetime .729 against RHP and no slouch defensively. Would check out trade interest in both.

[redsfanmia]

HE won a gold glove. It's not getting any higher. Everyone knows he doesn't hit.

Not trying to be snarky, I just really don’t think winning a gold glove is going to raise his value. I don’t think gold gloves mean anything, Votto has won one, Raphael Palmeiro won one playing like 10 games at first.

[757690]

Not trying to be snarky, I just really don’t think winning a gold glove is going to raise his value. I don’t think gold gloves mean anything, Votto has won one, Raphael Palmeiro won one playing like 10 games at first.

A gold glove first baseman is something very different from a gold glove catcher.

I do agree that winning the gold glove doesn’t mean much, because most teams already knew how strong Barnhart is defensively. But winning a gold glove does reveal what most teams already know.

[RichRed]

Not trying to be snarky, I just really don’t think winning a gold glove is going to raise his value. I don’t think gold gloves mean anything, Votto has won one, Raphael Palmeiro won one playing like 10 games at first.

There's a difference though between Barnhart's GG which was based solely on metrics, and Palmeiro's GG which was based on unicorn whispers.

[*BaseClogger*]

If the Reds can unload Tucker’s entire contract it probably gives them an extra $1.5MM or so to play with this year, and also saves them from paying Tucker’s buyout a year from now.

The time to trade Barnhart is now. I’d be shopping him hard.

How did you get to $1.5MM?

[NeilHamburger]

I will say it's interesting he's willing to say this in public. I mean, I thought it was pretty evident that the 3 true outcome approach was something preached from the top down throughout the organization (covering 2 hitting coaches). Can't believe that some of the higher ups would be happy about this.

[mth123]

Inconvenient fact for your argument is Casali’s a lifetime .682 OPS hitter against RHP - which the Reds face most of the time.

Offensively, Casali’s strength (against lefties) is redundant of Stephenson. Or you can sit RH power man Tyler against LHP - which would be ridiculous.

Issue is if Casali's defense is worth a .682 hitter in lineup against RHP. All around, against RHP, I’d just as soon have Barnhart, lifetime .729 against RHP and no slouch defensively. Would check out trade interest in both.

Stephenson needs to be the primary catcher. I don't see Barnhart in the smaller half of a tandem role.

As for Casali, he seems like a winning player to me. That's a vibe I don't get from any Reds player who has been here a while (or some of the acquisitions either who were decent guys on losing teams). Losing seems routine for most of this team's players. The team needs more guys who know how to win. I wouldn't remove one of the few they have.

Besides. the role is for a back-up catcher who starts 60 games or so. Barnhart has been an established primary catcher for a while who just won a Gold Glove. I think the Reds will be unwilling to turn things over to Stephenson if he's still here. This is a page that needs turned IMO.

[mth123]

Not trying to be snarky, I just really don’t think winning a gold glove is going to raise his value. I don’t think gold gloves mean anything, Votto has won one, Raphael Palmeiro won one playing like 10 games at first.

You are probably right. I just want the team to move on to the Stephenson era. That means dealing the primary catcher they have now.

[*BaseClogger*]

It's pretty crazy to me how many posters want to hand over the starting catching job to a 24 year-old who was pedestrian in 363 PAs in AA two years ago and hasn't played in AAA...

[Kc61]

Stephenson needs to be the primary catcher. I don't see Barnhart in the smaller half of a tandem role.

As for Casali, he seems like a winning player to me. That's a vibe I don't get from any Reds player who has been here a while (or some of the acquisitions either who were decent guys on losing teams). Losing seems routine for most of this team's players. The team needs more guys who know how to win. I wouldn't remove one of the few they have.

Besides. the role is for a back-up catcher who starts 60 games or so. Barnhart has been an established primary catcher for a while who just won a Gold Glove. I think the Reds will be unwilling to turn things over to Stephenson if he's still here. This is a page that needs turned IMO.

The veteran catching gig next year is probably a lot more than 60 games. Tyler hasn’t even played AAA. If he makes the Reds, I doubt the plan is for him to catch 100 games in his first full season. Regardless who’s the veteran.

So we’re down to your vibe that Casali is one of the few Reds who knows how to win. I’d argue, instead, that Reds may be better off with a GG defender who hits a tad better against RHP, along with young Mr. Stephenson.

[Patrick Bateman]

I'd be running with Casali and Tucker, and hopefully give Stephenson a chance to develop normally in AAA. Once he has completely knocked down the door he can push for major league playing time. Having 3 major league calibre catchers to start the season is not a terrible idea especially when one of them could definitely benefit from further development time.

[Mitri]

How did you get to $1.5MM?

Tucker: $4.2MM
Curt: estimated $2.2MM

So it should give the Reds an extra 1.5-2MM to play with.

[Mitri]

I'd be running with Casali and Tucker, and hopefully give Stephenson a chance to develop normally in AAA. Once he has completely knocked down the door he can push for major league playing time. Having 3 major league calibre catchers to start the season is not a terrible idea especially when one of them could definitely benefit from further development time.

It really depends on payroll. And Bauer. And how he may alter the payroll.

In a typical year, where funds look a little more fluid, sure. I think the budget will be tightened even if Bauer moves on. The difference between keeping Barnhart or letting Ty Steve take his place is over $3.5MM, money they could be spending elsewhere (bullpen, SS, a nice bench player). Keeping both guys is a luxury the Reds may have to move on from.

[*BaseClogger*]

Tucker: $4.2MM
Curt: estimated $2.2MM

So it should give the Reds an extra 1.5-2MM to play with.

I was not accounting for Casali's arbitration estimate