FanSided

Seattle Mariners 2019 Position Preview: Catchers

By Ty Gonzalez |
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 20: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners tries to outrun Omar Narvaez #38 of the Chicago White Sox but is tagged out in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on July 20, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JULY 20: Mitch Haniger #17 of the Seattle Mariners tries to outrun Omar Narvaez #38 of the Chicago White Sox but is tagged out in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on July 20, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
1 of 4
Next

Mike Zunino was the first name on Jerry Dipoto’s chopping block this offseason, consequently leaving the Mariners in a state of flux regarding their backstop.

With just one Major League addition to the catcher position over the last four months, the M’s are heading into Spring Training perhaps a tad bit short-handed. It’s possible that they may eventually dip into a free agent pool still rich in veteran catching depth, but for now they have two catchers they could easily roll into the season with.

The problem is, however, that these two players are the only catchers on the Mariners’ 40-man roster. Behind them, there is very little depth.  Teams tend to carry at least three or four catchers on their 40-man roster, including at least one veteran to stash in Triple-A.

With a young catcher – whose history of below-average defensive play has been a topic of discussion since his acquisition – set to start on a consistent basis, and an older backup with minimal Major League experience, there’s a cause for concern for the in-game development of Seattle’s young, up-and-coming pitchers.

But there is potential in this small group, especially on the offensive side of things. Today, we’ll be looking at that potential and how it all may shake out in the year to come.

MARINERS CATCHERS IN THE MINORS

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 20: Jose Lobaton #59 of the New York Mets celebrates after driving in Amed Rosario #1(not pictured) on a sac fly in the 12th inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 20: Jose Lobaton #59 of the New York Mets celebrates after driving in Amed Rosario #1(not pictured) on a sac fly in the 12th inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Though not on the 40-man roster, the Mariners did address one of my aforementioned concerns by signing veteran catcher José Lobatón to a Minor League contract back in December. The 34-year-old spent his 2018 season with the Mets, appearing in 22 games. Lobatón has been a fringe Major Leaguer his entire career, offering average defense behind the plate and a lackluster bat. In short, he’s this year’s Tuffy Gosewisch with slightly better defensive ability.

The Mariners also handed out a Minor League contract to Austin Nola, brother of Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola. Once filling the duties of utility infielder to start his career, Nola was converted to catcher in 2017. The following year, the career Minor Leaguer performed admirably in the Marlins’ system, throwing out 26 of 44 steal attempts and slashing .279/.370/.376 with two home runs.

Both of these names are ultimately underwhelming, however, but there is one player to feel some excitement over. That would be Joe DeCarlo, the 25-year-old former second round pick of the Mariners from 2012. Like Nola, DeCarlo is a former infielder recently converted to a catcher. The 2019 season will be DeCarlo’s third full year behind the plate, and while there is still a bit of a learning curve, he’s seemed to have adjusted well up to this point.

DeCarlo has maintained the ability to play third base on occasion. This is a great sign for his chances of eventually breaking through to the MLB, as it gives the Mariners even more flexibility in their roster construction. DeCarlo isn’t a high average hitter, but has shown the propensity to get on base and has flashed solid gap-to-gap power.

DAVID FREITAS

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 04: David Freitas #36 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after dropping a routine pop fly hit by Cedric Mullins #3 of the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on September 4, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 04: David Freitas #36 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after dropping a routine pop fly hit by Cedric Mullins #3 of the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth inning at Safeco Field on September 4, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

Of the four catchers who played for the Mariners in 2018, only David Freitas remains. It’s a fitting situation, given that Freitas served as Seattle’s crutch behind the plate for most of the year in the wake of Mike Zunino‘s injury early in the season and the mid-season retirement of Mike Marjama.

It’s certainly no mystery that Freitas isn’t the best catcher in the world, but it’s hard not to like the guy. From his wonky dad-playing-whiffle-ball batting stance to his adorable family-oriented Instagram, Freitas is a very easy guy to root for.

He also wasn’t particularly terrible on the field for the Mariners last year, despite posting relatively underwhelming numbers. The 29-year-old slashed just .215/.277/.312, but seemed to find the ball in some clutch moments. He also showed some small signs of improvement defensively, though he struggled to handle the opposition’s run game.

Freitas may not be the most ideal catcher to pair with the developing Omar Narváez, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if Seattle doesn’t sign a catcher and Freitas breaks camp with the team.

OMAR NARVÁEZ

CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 21: Omar Narvaez #38 of the Chicago White Sox (L) talks with Michael Kopech #34 in the dugout after the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 21, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 21: Omar Narvaez #38 of the Chicago White Sox (L) talks with Michael Kopech #34 in the dugout after the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 21, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /

Acquired in December for Álex Colomé, Narváez comes into Seattle as the Mariners’ incumbent starting catcher. Narváez, who turned 27 on Monday, will be given his first real opportunity to start on a consistent basis in 2019 after posting impressive offensive numbers in limited action over the last three seasons.

Despite the great amount of power Mike Zunino brought to the table, Narváez is arguably the most consistent hitter the Mariners have had at the catching position in quite some time. As a career .274/.366/.379 hitter, fans should not be surprised if Narváez is slotted near the top of the Mariners’ lineup at some point in 2019, perhaps even in the two-hole. All Narváez has done in his young career is get on base, and that will likely continue into the upcoming season.

Defense, however, is the biggest question mark for Narváez. The 27-year-old graded out relatively well by FanGraphs’ metrics, but there is some concern about Narváez’s ability to frame pitches and handle a pitching staff that will grow younger as the season progresses. Two weeks ago, I wrote about why these concerns may be a bit overblown and that Narváez, one of the Mariners’ first acquisitions of the offseason, is potentially Seattle’s most underrated addition of their busy Winter.

Next. Seattle Mariners 2019 Position Preview - Relief Pitchers. dark

If you read the article, you’ll understand that Narváez has a lot of potential to grow as a catcher. With really solid tools to work with, Narváez could develop into an above-average defensive catcher under the tutelage of more open-minded instructors and be exposed to a more modern outlook on the catching position.

Next
Home / Mariners News

Schedule