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2022 Hot Stove

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I like Tena for Yepez, but have no interest in Sanchez, who isn't better than what we have.

Until this morning Yepez was only a name on a list I had made up months ago of RH corner bats who might be MLB ready in 2022.

What caught my eye as I was going thru older scouting reports was the dramatic improvement in power without sacrificing much contact. Yepez is much like the three SP prospects we've picked up in the last several months...Battenfield, Pilkington, and Myers...fringe types with a lot of IFs that hit all the IFs this year.

In Yepez case, the IFs were whether he could reshape his body to become at least a viable outfielder, and whether he could get more distance out of all the fly balls he hit. He hit A+ on both counts.

In some ways Yepez also reminds me of Franmil, who didn't hit for great power until late in his MiLB journey.

Except for the (Huge) fact that we don't know if he can actually play at the MLB level, he fits everything we...or at least I...am/are looking for on this roster.

RH 1B/OF who has both contact abilities and power. This kid has not been a K machine, like Bradley, Zimmer, Frazier, et all. He Ks a lot less than Chang ever did.

Imagine if Harold Ramirez hit 55% of his batted balls in the air than on the ground. Thats what we may be talking about offensively with Yepez.

Another factor that makes me think his production can translate to MLB is that his best numbers aren't driven by unsustainable freak peripherals, like high BABIP.

So I started studying Cards media about Yepez. They make much todo about him as a DH candidate. The Cards thought so much of him that they activated him for a playoff game.

The more I read, the more I'm not sure that they would swap him for Tena.
 
I like Tena for Yepez, but have no interest in Sanchez, who isn't better than what we have.

Until this morning Yepez was only a name on a list I had made up months ago of RH corner bats who might be MLB ready in 2022.

What caught my eye as I was going thru older scouting reports was the dramatic improvement in power without sacrificing much contact. Yepez is much like the three SP prospects we've picked up in the last several months...Battenfield, Pilkington, and Myers...fringe types with a lot of IFs that hit all the IFs this year.

In Yepez case, the IFs were whether he could reshape his body to become at least a viable outfielder, and whether he could get more distance out of all the fly balls he hit. He hit A+ on both counts.

In some ways Yepez also reminds me of Franmil, who didn't hit for great power until late in his MiLB journey.

Except for the (Huge) fact that we don't know if he can actually play at the MLB level, he fits everything we...or at least I...am/are looking for on this roster.

RH 1B/OF who has both contact abilities and power. This kid has not been a K machine, like Bradley, Zimmer, Frazier, et all. He Ks a lot less than Chang ever did.

Imagine if Harold Ramirez hit 55% of his batted balls in the air than on the ground. Thats what we may be talking about offensively with Yepez.

Another factor that makes me think his production can translate to MLB is that his best numbers aren't driven by unsustainable freak peripherals, like high BABIP.

So I started studying Cards media about Yepez. They make much todo about him as a DH candidate. The Cards thought so much of him that they activated him for a playoff game.

The more I read, the more I'm not sure that they would swap him for Tena.

Sanchez is actually MLB ready... who do we have that is? Sanchez is more like Hedges since he is defense first and likely will have a light bat, but at least he's still young and can handle a pitching staff really well from
 
If we don't pick a decent catcher up in trade, I'd just stick with Leon as Hedges backup.

Sanchez looks like a typical third string catcher...the kind that bounces around in baseball until he's 35, and ends up with 200 career at bats.

For several years there has been a consistent drum beat for a catcher that could hit a baseball....but suddenly we are talking about Ali Sanchez?

The FO has already passed on so many reasonably acquired catchers that you have to think that it has something bigger than Sanchez planned.
 
If we don't pick a decent catcher up in trade, I'd just stick with Leon as Hedges backup.

Sanchez looks like a typical third string catcher...the kind that bounces around in baseball until he's 35, and ends up with 200 career at bats.

For several years there has been a consistent drum beat for a catcher that could hit a baseball....but suddenly we are talking about Ali Sanchez?

The FO has already passed on so many reasonably acquired catchers that you have to think that it has something bigger than Sanchez planned.

I think something is bigger than Sanchez is in the works, but we have little depth in the organization and it not like Naylor will be ready in 23, so having Lavastida backed up by a very good defensive catcher makes a ton of sense... my plan would end up with 4 catchers not 3...
 
I think something is bigger than Sanchez is in the works, but we have little depth in the organization and it not like Naylor will be ready in 23, so having Lavastida backed up by a very good defensive catcher makes a ton of sense... my plan would end up with 4 catchers not 3...
Agreed.

I dont think Leon is the plan as the first backup to Hedges. It seems to me that the plan is likelier to be Leon as the mentor for Lavastida in Columbus and Naylor repeating Akron, where he struggled...to put it kindly...last year.
 
Agreed.

I dont think Leon is the plan as the first backup to Hedges. It seems to me that the plan is likelier to be Leon as the mentor for Lavastida in Columbus and Naylor repeating Akron, where he struggled...to put it kindly...last year.

Sanchez also reminds me of Hedges from his scouting profile in a lot of ways, so I'd like a long term backup C option already on the roster while Lavastida and Naylor are developing... to me catcher is a position you can never have too much good depth in since extras, normally other teams will covet as well...
 
Sanchez also reminds me of Hedges from his scouting profile in a lot of ways, so I'd like a long term backup C option already on the roster while Lavastida and Naylor are developing... to me catcher is a position you can never have too much good depth in since extras, normally other teams will covet as well...
Thats true.

But Hedges was a 60FV prospect and rated first in the Padres system in 2014. He was also considered elite defensively, the best defensive catcher in the minors. Sanchez is merely good behind the plate.

Its likely that one of the youngsters will be ready for Cleveland by 2023.

A kid like Sanchez might be nice as the third catcher, sitting in Columbus, but Sanchez only has one option left...so would only be good for that role in 2022.

I'm not against acquiring Sanchez as a waiver pickup, but I'm not interested in giving anything up for him. What exactly is the value of an inexperienced third string catcher for one year?
 
Thats true.

But Hedges was a 60FV prospect and rated first in the Padres system in 2014. He was also considered elite defensively, the best defensive catcher in the minors. Sanchez is merely good behind the plate.

Its likely that one of the youngsters will be ready for Cleveland by 2023.

A kid like Sanchez might be nice as the third catcher, sitting in Columbus, but Sanchez only has one option left...so would only be good for that role in 2022.

I'm not against acquiring Sanchez as a waiver pickup, but I'm not interested in giving anything up for him. What exactly is the value of an inexperienced third string catcher for one year?

I said we should get him in a deal for Yepez/for very little type of thing. Also who are our catchers next season? Naylor isn't ready in 23... Lavastida still has inexperience innings wise even with 22... why can't he just be a backup for multiple seasons?
 
I said we should get him in a deal for Yepez/for very little type of thing. Also who are our catchers next season? Naylor isn't ready in 23... Lavastida still has inexperience innings wise even with 22... why can't he just be a backup for multiple seasons?
He can be, but we can...and should...do a lot better.

IMO Leon is a better option than Sanchez.

Seriously, our backup becomes our full time catcher if Hedges gets hurt. Do we really want an inexperienced kid who can't hit a lick to be handed the keys to our pitching staff?

I mean this kindly, but your statement that Lavastidas lack of experience means he won't be ready by 2023 doesn't mesh with your advocacy of Sanchez. Sanchez has 742 combined innings behind the plate in MLB and AAA.

Lavastida, if installed as the regular catcher in Columbus, will have that by August.
 
Be interesting to see what they do, but I agree with CATS. They should aim higher than someone like Sanchez and I'll be surprised if they don't. Coach is thinking Sanchez along with Yepez, but I'm thinking more along the lines of someone like Campusano.
 
He can be, but we can...and should...do a lot better.

IMO Leon is a better option than Sanchez.

Seriously, our backup becomes our full time catcher if Hedges gets hurt. Do we really want an inexperienced kid who can't hit a lick to be handed the keys to our pitching staff?

I mean this kindly, but your statement that Lavastidas lack of experience means he won't be ready by 2023 doesn't mesh with your advocacy of Sanchez. Sanchez has 742 combined innings behind the plate in MLB and AAA.

Lavastida, if installed as the regular catcher in Columbus, will have that by August.

You are taking what I said a completely different direction...

Lavastida has what maybe 1000 total innings as a catcher in game action... Sanchez has over 3000 innings as a catcher as is a defensive first one... All I said was, we don't know for certain if Lavastida will be catching game ready for 23, plus we don't know where Naylor will be at either...

So with getting Sanchez, my plan would be in 22... Hedges and Veteran FA catcher... with Sanchez as the next man up...

23... Lavastida and Sanchez as the two catchers...

24+... Best two of Lavastida, Sanchez and Naylor...

He isnt supposed to be the main guy, just the backup and a depth piece... like we really have many of those...

Be interesting to see what they do, but I agree with CATS. They should aim higher than someone like Sanchez and I'll be surprised if they don't. Coach is thinking Sanchez along with Yepez, but I'm thinking more along the lines of someone like Campusano.

I am just trying to add depth pieces in the deal and we lack catchers who have innings behind the plate... Sanchez is honestly a career defensive backup catcher and that's what we need as an organization in my mind... I think he will hit for some AVG, but never much in the OPS department
 
Thats not a bad plan as long as our third string catcher has some MLB experience and costs us no more than a bag of balls....lol.
 
The next question I have is why so many posters are seemingly allergic to veteran players with some MLB success, instead desiring even more prospects to man this years team.

Campusano is a prospect...a very good one, but he would cost just as much as a player who could help right now. It would cost us more to acquire Campusano than it would to get...

Happ for two years.
Carson Kelly for three years.

He would cost half as much as Ketel Marte.

If we are gonna trade our high end prospects, let's get some immediate production in return.
 
I am just trying to add depth pieces in the deal and we lack catchers who have innings behind the plate... Sanchez is honestly a career defensive backup catcher and that's what we need as an organization in my mind... I think he will hit for some AVG, but never much in the OPS department
Picking up a veteran C isn't that big of a challenge as noted by the Leon signing.........again. Adding depth is fine, but let's try to add depth that has some potential even if it's gone unrealized to this point.
 
He can be, but we can...and should...do a lot better.

IMO Leon is a better option than Sanchez.

Seriously, our backup becomes our full time catcher if Hedges gets hurt. Do we really want an inexperienced kid who can't hit a lick to be handed the keys to our pitching staff?

I mean this kindly, but your statement that Lavastidas lack of experience means he won't be ready by 2023 doesn't mesh with your advocacy of Sanchez. Sanchez has 742 combined innings behind the plate in MLB and AAA.

Lavastida, if installed as the regular catcher in Columbus, will have that by August.
From GBI: "...Leon played in his first game since December 18 and collected a hit, giving him a five game hitting streak and has hits in six of his eight games played this winter. His OBP is .375 but his SLG is a paltry .296. Here’s to hoping Cleveland addresses its catching needs when the lockout ends beyond Leon’s return to the great lakes...."

There is nothing about Leon's game that is "better"
 

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