Are the years finally catching up to Pudge?

“You have to have a catcher because if you don't you're likely to have a lot of passed balls.” — Casey Stengel

Finding a good catcher is tough today, as it was in Casey’s era. Catcher can be the most challenging position to manage properly in fantasy. The supply of impact players is thinnest at this position. Also, there are no catchers that contribute to all Roto categories, with the possible exception of Russell Martin (four steals). Count yourself lucky if you have a catcher that can hit a little and contribute in homeruns and RBI. Chances are your catcher’s batting average and OPS are dragging your team averages downward.

The other annoying thing about catchers is that they require more off days than other position players. It is rare to see a catcher start a day game after a night game. This means that most weekends your catcher is taking a day off.

If you have a veteran catcher, he will need even more rest. The wear-and-tear of catching will age you quickly. Just ask the recently retired Mike Piazza. Piazza, now 39, had his last Piazza-type season six years ago at 33.

There are some good young (under 30) catchers that are making a splash in 2008 (for better). On the flip side, beware the veteran catchers, even the ones off to fast (and unsustainable) starts.

For Better

1. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: The young Cub was a trendy pick in fantasy drafts this spring. His fast start justified the hype. Soto hit .341 in April, though he has tapered off a little, to his current .296. I wouldn’t be too concerned. The power numbers have been consistent — He already has 9 HR and 27 doubles. Soto is going to be the best Cub catcher in a long time, maybe since Gabby Hartnett.


2. Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay Rays: Believe it or not, there is a .349 hitting catcher that is available in about half of all leagues. Navarro, 24, does not hit with power (1 HR), but .349 is still .349. Before you dismiss this as a fluke, consider that Navarro finished last season very strong. He hit .340 after the All Star break, which means he has hit over .340 for a five-month period. By the way, Navarro’s career minor league average was .346. That’s good enough for me. Pick him up if he is still available.


3. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates: Doumit, 27, was one of my sleeper specials this season. Last year he played a few games in the outfield, keeping his bat in the lineup. This season he started so well, he pushed Ronny Paulino deep into the bench. Doumit played exclusively at catcher before a fractured thumb put him on the disabled list. Doumit, undrafted in most leagues, is only owned in about 65% of leagues. That is way too low for a .350 hitting catcher close to coming back. Pick him up if he is available.


4. Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels: The 26-year-old Napoli is a feast-or-famine proposition. I would give him only a qualified recommendation. If you need power and can sacrifice average, then Napoli is your man. He has 10 home runs in only 112 at-bats; the bad news is his average is only .214. A couple of weeks ago it was as high as .258. His lifetime average is .232, so that’s what you should expect. If you can carry two catchers on your roster, you can platoon Napoli. Start Napoli only against right-handed pitchers, and start your other catcher when Napoli faces a southpaw. Though Napoli is right-handed, he hits 45 points better against righties and has his all 10 of his homers against righties. Napoli is available is a little less than half of all leagues. He can help you, but you have to use him correctly.


5. Chris Snyder, Arizona Diamondbacks: Snyder is posting good power numbers for a catcher. He has five home runs and 29 RBI, which would project to 16 home runs, and 95 RBI. His OPS is very good at .853. At 27, Snyder is entering his prime. He is available in most leagues.

For Worse

1. Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants: Molina is having the same sort of resurgence that Jorge Posada had last season. Molina is a veteran catcher, off to a fast start, and easily out-pacing his career averages. Molina’s numbers are stellar: .331 with six home runs, 37 RBI, and an OPS of .874. Some red flags: Molina has caught 1,000 games in his career, he is playing on a bad team, and he plays in a pitcher’s park. The odds are stacked against Molina continuing his success. Molina’s home and away splits are dramatically different: a .256 average with a .678 OPS at AT&T Park versus a .385 average and a 1.032 OPS on the road. Expect Molina’s numbers to drift closer to his lifetime average, .278, and career .727 OPS. Molina will be 34 next month; inevitably, he will start to act his age. A sell-high opportunity if you have him.


2. Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians: Martinez, 29, was the top-rated fantasy catcher on opening day. That lasted only a couple of innings, however. Martinez injured his hamstring and has not been right since. The average is ok, at .289, but he has no homers and a paltry .347 slugging percentage. Martinez turned into Jason Kendall. Martinez’ is injury is not bad enough to put him on the DL, but bad enough to kill his stats. What he probably needs is extended rest to get well. Expect to suffer through the power blackout for a while longer.


3. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers: Last year Salty was the centerpiece of the package Atlanta dealt to Texas for Mark Teixeira. He hit .266 with 13 HR in 308 at bats in 2007. Salty had the potential to be another Victor Martinez. This year he has fulfilled that prophesy. He became the 2008 version of Martinez, the one without the extra-base hits. Salty was so bad in the spring that he got demoted to the minors. He is now Gerald Laird’s caddy. The 23-year-old Saltalamacchia needs to play regularly, to build his confidence and hone his skills. He is hitting only .246 in part-time duty. Forget about him until 2009.


4. Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers: Reputation goes a long way. How else to explain the fact that I-Rod is owned in 87% of leagues? At 36, Rodriguez is shell of his former self. His offensive production has declined for the third straight year. He is hitting only .253 with one home run and a .654 OPS. That’s unacceptable for fantasy play. If you have I-Rod on your roster, drop him now.


5. Chris Coste, Philadelphia Phillies: Available in most leagues, Coste is scalding NL pitching this season, hitting .327 with 6 HR and a .971 OPS. Most of the damage has been done in the hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park. Coste is hitting. 355, with 5 HR at home; he’s hitting .282 with 1 HR on the road. At 35, Coste is the oldest third-year player in baseball. Sure, the guy can hit, but he splits time with Carlos Ruiz, which diminishes his value in Roto and destroys his value in H2H.


6. Rod Barajas, Toronto Blue Jays: Like a Toronto spring, Barajas was ice-cold in April. Barajas, 32, has heated up since then, batting .368 since April. With Gregg Zaun on the disabled list, Barajas plays every day. However Zaun comes back in later this month, giving Barajas a short shelf life in fantasy.


7. Jesus Flores, Washington Nationals: The catching situation was a mess in Washington at the beginning of the season. Veterans Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada have spent more time on the DL than behind the plate. The Nationals caught lightning in a bottle with the 23-year old Flores who is hitting .338. A word of caution: unlike Navarro, for example, Flores does not have impressive minor league numbers. Flores’ hot streak is temporary, and Lo Duca will take at bats from him once he returns, later this month.