Catcher Draft Day Bargains

02/08/2010 5:00 AM - 

Fantasybaseball.com defines a “bargain” as a player that has the potential to significantly outperform his Average Draft Position.  The catcher position is the least desirable one on draft day.  Many catchers are barely better than pitchers at hitting but in most leagues you need to roster two catchers.  Because of their overall weakness, finding two solid catchers can be very important.  Writers for fantasybaseball.com have weighed in on their best value picks at the catcher position in 2010.

Mark Schruender

Miguel Montero is only 26 years old and had a .900 OPS after the All-Star break last season. Matt Wieters made a lot of noise in September because he is Matt Wieters, but Montero was better for longer late in the year.  Pass on the youngster and go with Montero, the more developed player.

Ed Lilly

Ryan Doumit suffered a wrist injury and then had difficulties regaining his form upon his return. The good news is he hit .346 in September, which should bode well for his 2010 season. Doumit was the subject of trade rumors this winter but he remains with the Pirates. He is a career .273 hitter and I look for him to at least reach that level this season and throw in 15-20 homers.

Eric Homola

The Sophomore Slump hit Geovany Soto hard last year. His batting average dropped from .285 to .218 and his homeruns went from 23 to a measly 11. Even though he posted a higher walk rate and swung at fewer pitches. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) fell from .337 in 2008 to .251 in 2009. I think he should bounce back to around .275 and hopefully get back on a good homerun track. Maybe pray for warm weather in the windy city to start the season.

Pat Mayo

Year one of the Matt Wieters experiment was akin to the first year of the Obama presidency. Wieters was bestowed an unrealizable amount of hype before he even reached the majors and it caused a backlash towards the ultra talented catcher. After failing miserably for the majority of the year, Wieters was dismissed as a bust and basically forgotten about.  Those paying strict attention noticed that after the first months of frustration, Wieters was able to right the ship and finish the season strong. Instead of exhausting a high pick on one of the elite catchers (Mauer, McCann, & Martinez), take your chance on Wieters. Year two of Wieters will be better.

Chris “Big Dawg” McDonnell

In 2009, Miguel Montero took over as the #1 catcher in Arizona.  He showed developing power and an improved average as the year went on.  He had a big second half that he could carry forward to 2010.

Fred Zinkie

Knee surgery cost Ramon Hernandez most of the second half of 2009.  Prior to that point, he was on pace to get close to 500 at-bats and drive in more than 60 runs.  Those aren’t outstanding totals, but they are enough to make him a decent second catcher in mixed leagues.  When Hernandez has been healthy enough to play a full season he typically delivers double-digit home runs 60+ RBIs and an average that is .260 or higher.  If he looks healthy in spring training, he is a better gamble than the John Buck’s or Nick Hundley’s of the fantasy baseball world and he is currently getting drafted in the same range as those players.

Jeremy Tiermini

Jorge Posada is a 38-year old catcher coming off of a season where he was injured, only playing in 111 games, and where his defense and chemistry with certain pitchers was questioned.  Fantasy bust, right?  No way.  First, full disclosure: Posada is my favorite player.  However, when I play fantasy baseball, my head rules over my heart.  Last year, in those 111 games, Posada hit .285 with 22 HR’s and 81 RBI’s.  Anyone would take that production from a catcher.  The Yankees will certainly want to protect Posada, so I only expect him to catch 110 – 115 games this season.  HOWEVER, the Yankees need his bat in the middle of the order, losing Matsui and Damon.  I expect that Jorge will get at least 25 games as the DH; I also expect that he will see some late inning PH duties.  If he gets 500+ AB’s I expect he will produce a .280 BA, with 25 HR’s, 70 runs, and, hitting in the fifth spot in the Yankee batting order, I would not be surprised to see him get over 100 RBI’s.  Because of his age and some recent injuries, Posada is sliding down the catcher rankings.  If you can let the other owners fight over the top three catchers you can add other key positions and grab Hip Hip Jorge later.

Roy Daniel

Geovany Soto started the 2009 season looking to continue his solid play that earned him rookie of the year in 2008.   However, he had a horrible 2009 season due to numerous injuries, which limited Soto to 102 games.  Soto lost 40 pounds during the offseason and looks ready to bounce back in 2010.  Soto should be able to mirror his 2008 stats with 23 HRs and 86 RBIs.