2023 Season | Series #22 | Guardians @ Padres | June 13-15, 2023

[Real Deal]

BALLGAME!!!
Series salvaged!

@DCTribefan salvaged baby

 

[CATS44]

Tito wanted this one, and got it.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Sign me up for some David Fry at catcher. A three-run homer, another ball hit over the fence that was swatted back in for a double, no passed balls or wild pitches and he threw out a base stealer and almost got another. This guy should be playing every day. That three-run blast was the difference. If Zunino or Gallagher was in we'd have lost this one.

Great job by the bullpen - six innings and just one run allowed.

Six of the eight runs came on 2-out RBI's. Just like last year. The Guardians were 7-for-20 with RISP.

Nice to see Amed get three hits but I hated the stupid throw to third that caused Morgan to have to get four outs in the fifth.

14 hits for the Guardians and a home run by a catcher. I could get used to this.

Arias still cannot hit a fastball to save his life. He also stands too far off the plate and doesn't step into the pitch.

 

[Melancholy Jaques]

It's 9:13 PM here on the west coast and I still can't believe the Gs won that game.

 

[Stark]

I’ve made my decision.

DFA Zunino and Gallagher. Call up Naylor and keep Fry.

This team doesn’t need three catchers - Tito doesn’t use them correctly anyways.

Also, trade Rosario while he has high value after this barnburner game.

 

[CATS44]

I like three catchers, esp if one of them can play other positions.

It gives a manager extra flexibility.

I can't think of a better fit for the 26th man.

 

[petes999]

I still just don't see Fry more than a 3rd catcher/utility (maybe a back-up if it isn't with another rookie and goes 75%+ of games).

Just looking at games in College/summer leagues/milb/mlb at catcher
Naylor - 324 (312 starts) at 23.3
Lavastida - 236 (228 starts) at 24.5
Fry - 180 (145 starts) at 27.5 yrs

I think that good athletes can learn catching and # of starts are not that big of deal (as long as they spend winter in the cages working on blocking and not sitting on a bucket). The throws are just how quickly they perfect their footwork and strength of arm. Yet, if Fry didn't get one start in AAA this year, it is clearly not in Cleveland long-term plans (only 11 games and 33 innings which inc 9 from last night in MLB in 1-1/2 months since May 1). And, they are not going pair up Naylor and Fry alone.

One great night (with a team which probably had a paper thin scouting report on him), doesn't pencil him in for more time yet. He is the 18-22 HR guy in 600 ABs. But, even as an older college guy, A - .257/.768, AA - .248/.788, AAA - .264/.798 (so decent but nothing eye popping like our last none-catcher Yanier Diaz thus why we traded him for Straw). Diaz is quietly having good season as Houston back-up (stats maybe a bit misleading with < 100ABs but 0.8 WAR both positive on OWar and DWar at BR). He has +3 CS, +1 Block, -1 Frame compared to average at BS. If Diaz, who was playing catcher, didn't meet Tito's high standards on d-skills potential (which Zunino and -10 block, +1 frame runs saved, -1 CS vs avg is getting pass on), Fry won't see the light of day as anything but our 3rd catcher. But, he will have a role with us as a long-term 3rd catcher (if they save a winter 40 man space for him for that role). With Arias, Freeman and others being versatile, that 13 guy who sits on the bench a lot - is perfect for a Lava or a Fry (and why Lava may get it next year if they need a 40 man spot over the winter).

 

[sportscoach]

I still just don't see Fry more than a 3rd catcher/utility (maybe a back-up if it isn't with another rookie and goes 75%+ of games).

Just looking at games in College/summer leagues/milb/mlb at catcher
Naylor - 324 (312 starts) at 23.3
Lavastida - 236 (228 starts) at 24.5
Fry - 180 (145 starts) at 27.5 yrs

I think that good athletes can learn catching and # of starts are not that big of deal (as long as they spend winter in the cages working on blocking and not sitting on a bucket). The throws are just how quickly they perfect their footwork and strength of arm. Yet, if Fry didn't get one start in AAA this year, it is clearly not in Cleveland long-term plans (only 11 games and 33 innings which inc 9 from last night in MLB in 1-1/2 months since May 1). And, they are not going pair up Naylor and Fry alone.

One great night (with a team which probably had a paper thin scouting report on him), doesn't pencil him in for more time yet. He is the 18-22 HR guy in 600 ABs. But, even as an older college guy, A - .257/.768, AA - .248/.788, AAA - .264/.798 (so decent but nothing eye popping like our last none-catcher Yanier Diaz thus why we traded him for Straw). Diaz is quietly having good season as Houston back-up (stats maybe a bit misleading with < 100ABs but 0.8 WAR both positive on OWar and DWar at BR). He has +3 CS, +1 Block, -1 Frame compared to average at BS. If Diaz, who was playing catcher, didn't meet Tito's high standards on d-skills potential (which Zunino and -10 block, +1 frame runs saved, -1 CS vs avg is getting pass on), Fry won't see the light of day as anything but our 3rd catcher. But, he will have a role with us as a long-term 3rd catcher (if they save a winter 40 man space for him for that role). With Arias, Freeman and others being versatile, that 13 guy who sits on the bench a lot - is perfect for a Lava or a Fry (and why Lava may get it next year if they need a 40 man spot over the winter).

We don't plan on having Fry as the starter but as the 3rd catcher/utility guy. It gives the bench/manager options since he can play multiple positions...

Naylor is the starter normally, Gallagher as the backup (season veteran type) then Fry as an utility guy...

 

[macbdog]

I’ve made my decision.

DFA Zunino and Gallagher. Call up Naylor and keep Fry.

This team doesn’t need three catchers - Tito doesn’t use them correctly anyways.

Also, trade Rosario while he has high value after this barnburner game.

Fry and Naylor at C is like having Mike Zunino at catcher 24/7. The terrible defense at C outside of Gallagher is one of the big reasons this club has stunk in close games.

 

[sportscoach]

Fry and Naylor at C is like having Mike Zunino at catcher 24/7. The terrible defense at C outside of Gallagher is one of the big reasons this club has stunk in close games.

Hence why I personally want to keep Gallagher/a defensive minded backup with Naylor...

 

[KluberSociety]

Fry potentially does one thing that Amed does and very few other players can do on the team and that's hit lefties.

The catcher we're probably going to call up on around June 20th may need a little help with that but his stats against lefties are actually very good this year outside of BABIP. More BBs than K's, with power.

I think it's probably too soon to give up on Fry though, as a potential lefty matchup guy at multiple positions even if he doesn't necessarily play catcher. I do think it'd make sense for us to keep at least one other catcher, because I don't think Collins is cutting it and we'd deplete our depth by DFAing both Gallagher and Zunino.

I tend to agree that Gallagher makes more sense as the choice here even though he can't hit worth a lick - he can do some late inning defense, etc. Throw him at the bottom of the lineup and hope he doesn't kill you offensively. He also isn't a free agent until 2025 so at least we have a lukewarm body to take up roster space if Lavastida isn't ready.

FWIW Lavastida has been pretty solid with the bat since his DFA - .291 with 15% BB, 14% K, 3 HRs over 145 PA. Think he might get the promotion sooner or later to see what he has in AAA once Naylor gets the call. Sucks that he just can't seem to throw out runners at all though, can't really see him making it without showing some competence there.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I think Fry should get a longer look at the big league level. If he's a platoon guy who hits lefties, and can play 1B/3B/C, let alone being mildly familiar with 2B/OF, that has value on this club.

Maybe this is just Zunino trauma talking, but he didn't look that bad behind the plate last night... that throw to third was better than any throw Zunino has made this year... or the shell of Hedges made last year.

 

[KluberSociety]

I think Fry should get a longer look at the big league level. If he's a platoon guy who hits lefties, and can play 1B/3B/C, let alone being mildly familiar with 2B/OF, that has value on this club.

Maybe this is just Zunino trauma talking, but he didn't look that bad behind the plate last night... that throw to third was better than any throw Zunino has made this year... or the shell of Hedges made last year.

His pop time so far (very low sample) has actually been great and would put him in the upper half of the league. Not sure how sustainable that is at all. Framing stats probably aren't going to like him. I didn't notice him do anything wrong last night but he didn't get some calls. But I'd blame variance rather than his skills there.

Gallagher has improved his pop time this year mainly through quick transfers but his pop time is still in the bottom 50%.

Fry 1.91s to 2B, Gallagher 1.96s to 2B, Zunino 2.04s to 2B. Clearly one stands out and it isn't in a good way.

 

[CDAV45]

I think Fry should get a longer look at the big league level. If he's a platoon guy who hits lefties, and can play 1B/3B/C, let alone being mildly familiar with 2B/OF, that has value on this club.

Maybe this is just Zunino trauma talking, but he didn't look that bad behind the plate last night... that throw to third was better than any throw Zunino has made this year... or the shell of Hedges made last year.

The throw to 2B was just as strong or stronger. The runner had a huge jump and stole the base on Stephan I believe. Fry made it real close.

 

[CDAV45]

We don't plan on having Fry as the starter but as the 3rd catcher/utility guy. It gives the bench/manager options since he can play multiple positions...

Naylor is the starter normally, Gallagher as the backup (season veteran type) then Fry as an utility guy...

I think this is assuming too much right now. If Fry continues to look adequate behind the plate and hit well, then that helps this team tremendously. It basically allows your utility player to have a C on his resume as well as all the other positions and then you don't have to weigh down your roster with a non-hitting backup C like Gallagher. In the end they may determine that Fry isn't good enough with the gear on, but that seems unlikely after watching Zunino to this point. Fry is a helluva lot better than him and hanging around Sandy will probably help him get even better. The same applies to Bo as well.

My guess is that most of this will be determined by Fry's bat. The question is how are they going to go about getting him reps?