As the Dodgers get closer to the first workout of spring training on Feb. 16, we are providing a breakdown of how they stand with their roster. Today, the catchers:
2016 RECAP
Yasmani Grandal was one of the best all-around catchers in the majors last season. He led all catchers with 27 home runs and finished with a higher OPS (.816) than more heralded catchers Buster Posey and Yadier Molina. Grandal’s pitch-framing skills continue to rank among the best in baseball. A.J. Ellis spent most of the season as Grandal’s backup before the clubhouse leader was surprisingly traded to Philadelphia for another veteran, Carlos Ruiz, who offered more offensive upside.
HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW
The Dodgers’ front office is all in on Grandal for 2017 with inexperienced Austin Barnes and prospect Kyle Farmer (who has never played above Double-A) the only other catchers on the team’s current 40-man roster. The well-regarded Barnes has served a two-year internship in Triple-A with some big-league time mixed in. With veterans Ellis and Ruiz gone, Barnes figures to be the full-time backup.
THE NEXT LAYER
The Dodgers did sign well-traveled Bobby Wilson to a minor-league contract to give them a more experienced hand to turn to if Grandal gets injured. Given his history (shoulder and knee surgeries) and the demands of the job, that is almost a certainty – meaning the Dodgers could find themselves with the tandem of Barnes and Wilson as their catching options at some point in 2017.
MOVE THEY COULD MAKE
They already made it with the signing of Wilson. The Grandal-Barnes-Wilson trio is likely the hand they have decided to play in 2017.
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