2008 Preview: Catchers

Instead of moving to my projected Lehigh Valley IronPigs roster for 2008, I’ve decided to evaluate all the players in the Phillies’ organization by position, starting today with the catchers. Keep in mind that I’m no talent scout, so I’m relying on information that is readily available on the Internets and my own observations and analyses based on the few minor league games I get to each year. I also make no guarantees as to the completeness of the lists of players, since minor-league transactions and free agency are hard to track.

The Catchers

The team has made it clear during this offseason that Carlos Ruiz [thebaseballcube.com stat page] will be the primary catcher for the 2008 season, and Chris Coste [stats] will serve as his backup. I wouldn’t expect any shake-ups, because the Phillies have seemingly settled on Ruiz as the future, and Coste is too late in his career to really be a trade option.

The Phillies signed a split contract with last year’s late-season acquisition, Pete Laforest [stats], which will see him starting the year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Laforest is not a prospect to be an everyday catcher for the Phillies, so expect him to take a backseat behind the plate for the IronPigs to the younger Jason Jaramillo. Laforest’s primary role will likely be as the team’s designated hitter. He could get the call-up due to an injury to Ruiz or Coste if the organization feels Jaramillo isn’t ready for the bigs. Otherwise, Laforest could be traded to a team that needs a catcher or DH. If not, he isn’t likely to rejoin the Phillies until the September roster expansion. Opening Day: Lehigh Valley IronPigs starting designated hitter.

Jaramillo, who will be 25 for the 2008 season, is young and on the upward trajectory. The folks over at the Original IronPigs Blog have posted a nice review of his career (though I’d note that Jaramillo obviously played for Ottawa, not Scranton, in 2007). His play earned him protection from the Rule 5 Draft when the Phillies added him to the 40-man roster after the 2007 season. Jaramillo [stats] was invited to spring training for 2008. Opening Day: Lehigh Valley IronPigs starting catcher.

This is a make-or-break year for Tim Gradoville, 28, a fellow Central Pennsylvanian who is treading into the waters of career minor leaguers. After three years at Creighton University, Gradoville [stats] played rookie ball in 2002 and spent all of 2003 with Low-A Lakewood. He split 2004 between Lakewood and High-A Clearwater. His career looked to be on the upswing in 2005, when he moved on to Reading and even played nine games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, Gradoville found himself back with Reading in 2006 and again in 2007, when he posted a paltry .152 average in 46 games. Gradoville has reached Triple-A for short, unproductive stints in three straight years, but still received a spring training invite for the upcoming season. Gradoville is likely to start 2008 as the primary catcher in Reading, but he will give way to a younger, more promising backstop before year’s end. Opening Day: Reading Phillies starting catcher.

Lou Marson, at age 22, is rising rapidly through the organizational ranks. Marson [stats] played rookie ball in 2004, spent 2005 with short-season Batavia, 2006 with Low-A Lakewood, and posted a .288 average with High-A Clearwater in 2007. He has earned a second spring-training invitation from the big team. I expect him to start the season learning the ropes behind Gradoville in Reading, but he will emerge as the primary catcher at the Double-A level by the end of ’08. Opening Day: Reading Phillies backup catcher.

Orlando Guevara, 24, is another young catcher who has caught the eye of the Phillies’ brass. A non-drafted free agent signing, Guevara [stats] has played in just 70 games over four years, posting a career average of .158, but the scouts must see something in him, because he has already played as high as Triple-A (for three games in 2006). He only played in 17 games last season, all for High-A Clearwater, but he inked a new deal and was invited to 2008 spring training. The OIP blog mentions that Guevara “has earned a reputation for being good at handling pitchers,” possibly explaining the Phillies’ interest. However, he’ll need to prove himself at the plate before moving to the real show in Reading or Allentown. Opening Day: Clearwater Threshers starting catcher.

John Suomi’s career has never really gotten started. Suomi, 27, began in the Oakland Athletics’ organization in 2000 and never made it out of “A” ball over five seasons. After staying out of affiliated baseball in 2005, Suomi [stats] moved on to Pittsburgh in ’06, where he hit for .295 in High-A. The Nationals took a chance on Suomi: he played 36 games in Double-A Harrisburg last season, and even played five games in the Triple-A International League. Suomi played 20 games at Clearwater in 2007 and signed a new contract with the Phillies for 2008. He could start in Clearwater and earn a promotion to Reading, but I’d put him behind Guevara on the depth chart simply because of their ages. Opening Day: Clearwater Threshers backup catcher.

Tuffy Gosewisch, 24, put in four years at Arizona State before the Phillies drafted him in 2005. Gosewisch [stats] played at short-season Batavia in ’05 and leapt to High-A Clearwater for 2006, but he dropped back to Low-A Lakewood for 2007. He showed enough promise to earn an invitation to this year’s spring training, but with a .224 average in ’07, I expect James Benjamin to spend some more time in Lakewood before he gets another crack at Clearwater. Opening Day: Lakewood BlueClaws starting catcher.

Joel Naughton, 21, batted .275 in 29 games in the rookie leagues in 2005. Naughton [stats] played in 45 games, batting .206, for short-season Batavia in 2006. Last season, Naughton hit .259 in 56 games for the BlueClaws. He should start 2008 where he finished 2007. Opening Day: Lakewood BlueClaws backup catcher.

The rest of the catching crew will fight for spots on the rosters of Lakewood or short-season Williamsport:

Alan Robbins, 24, was drafted by the Phils in the 32^nd round out of Winthrop in 2006. After a stint in the rookie Gulf Coast League in ’06, Robbins [stats] split time between short-season Williamsport (.227, seven games) and Low-A Lakewood (.211, 14 games) in 2007.

Timothy Kennelly, 21 years old and born in Australia, mans the hot corners in addition to catching. Kennelly [stats] played primarily third base for the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2005. He spent most of 2006 and 2007 with the Phils’ short-season squads. Kennelly peaked at Clearwater for five games last season.

Caleb Mangum, age unknown, played four years for North Carolina State and made his pro debut last season, batting .257 in 48 games with the Crosscutters of Williamsport. [stats]

Kirk Bacsu, 23, was drafted out of Evansville last year and went 5-for-33 in 14 appearances in Williamsport. [stats]

If you have additional information or anything to add to my take on how the catchers will shape up throughout the franchise, please feel free to comment. Check back tomorrow for a look at the organization’s first basemen.