Ramon Hernandez an option?

Cincinatti might lose Ramon Hernandez via Free Agency if they all don't see eye-to-eye about the team exercising their buy-out option, and then re-signing him to a new deal. Josh Thole is projected to be the starting catcher in the future, but no matter how you look at it, that year is not going to be next year. Omar Santos should be our back-up, but as of right now, the catcher FA list isn't all that impressive. Hernandez is coming off of a season plagued with injuries, so he's not going to be getting outrageous deals by various clubs. Last season, his WAR was only .5, but, on average, before last season, his WAR was 2.5- which is a lot better than Santos, of course, and a bunch of the other FA catchers out there. A WAR in that range is certainly possible if he's recovered from his knee injuries and surgery and all that. He's also a bit younger than a lot of the other catcher FAs out there. Thoughts?

over 2 years ago Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan 17 comments 0 recs |

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I'm new to the advanced stats, so I hope I was using/understanding them, by the way...

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 8, 2009 1:12 AM EST reply actions

I would consider it.

I think catcher is a huge hole for the Mets this year.

by fxcarden on Nov 8, 2009 8:33 AM EST reply actions

I'd prefer him to the other catchers on the market.

Hopefully, a short term deal.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Nov 8, 2009 9:29 AM EST reply actions

he can’t be worse then Schneider and Santos
as long as its one year, $2 mil

"We're investigating the investigative procedure of the investigation of Tony Bernazard"---Omar Minaya (he really didn't say it but he would"

by firejerrynow on Nov 8, 2009 9:58 AM EST reply actions

Catcher is a wierd position this year.

Thole looks like he could be decent in the future, but I’d like to see him start the season in AAA. Santos wouldn’t be an Awful option as a backup just due to the fact that he’d make the league minimum. If the starter gets injured though, I’d hope Thole comes up as the starter and Omir remains the backup. I really don’t have a preference between the guys who we know will be available at this point, as they all will be an improvement over schnieder, but none will likely be much over a 1 WAR player. When the non-tender deadline passes, there may be some interesting names out there. I just hope the front office keeps to a 1 year deal and then looks at the more interesting options next year.

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Nov 8, 2009 10:47 AM EST reply actions

He supposedly has a "degenerative-type knee condition"

Which would seem to limit his offers to 1 year. I wouldn’t mind the Mets taking a gamble on a 1-year deal for 1 million + incentives.

by DoghouseBlues on Nov 8, 2009 11:10 AM EST reply actions

Exactly what I was thinking.

A single-season deal, with incentives based on the amount of playing time he actually gets in, with one of our key selling points, asides for giving him a market contract, being that we’re the Mets, and that he has a much better chance of getting into the postseason than the Reds (as they stand right now), the Astros (who, I believe, are looking for a catcher), and whatever other teams out there.

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 8, 2009 12:16 PM EST up reply actions

i'd definitely consider him

any one of the combo of hernandez, pudge, barajas, dioner navarro (if he’s non-tendered) or chris snyder (if he’s healthy/cheap to acquire) would be fine w/ me.

then you back him w/ omir and wait ’til thole takes that spot at some point this season.

by Rob Castellano on Nov 8, 2009 6:46 PM EST reply actions

I'd take Zaun

and even Blanco over Barajas because Zaun is much better, and Blanco will be the same but cheaper. I’d love to take a chance on Navarro or Snyder if they become available.

"We must win and we must know how to win rather than win because we have statistical people."

by Evan_S on Nov 8, 2009 8:20 PM EST up reply actions

idk about blanco

he screams backup to me. to be honest i’m not entirely sold on barajas either.

basically, both blanco and barajas can put up mediocre numbers except barajas has the ability to do it over 100-120 games whereas blanco can only do it over 50-70 games, any more than that and he gets severely overexposed. his 2 seasons w/ 100+ games bear that out. blanco has only sort of had a career renaissance of late because he and his teams have embraced the backup role for him.

i like zaun, though i’ve read that after navarro’s struggles and the release of michel hernandez TB plans to pick up his option

by Rob Castellano on Nov 8, 2009 9:53 PM EST up reply actions

Then lets try to go after Hernandez, Pudge, maybe Navarro or Snyder.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Nov 8, 2009 11:11 PM EST up reply actions

Does over-exposure really exist?

It sounds like on of those old baseball sayings (like protection in the line-up) that aren’t really true. And Blanco 100+ seasons were in 2001 and 2004, which is a long time ago.
I like Zaun, if he’s available. Really just anyone better than Omir would be good.

by EtSuKe on Nov 9, 2009 12:24 AM EST up reply actions

Hernandez has been 1.5, 1.9, and .5 WAR

so I wouldn’t expect him to go to 2.5 WAR. He’s been between .310 and .314 wOBA the last 3 seasons.

by EtSuKe on Nov 9, 2009 12:29 AM EST reply actions

2.5(+/-) is his entire career WAR average

"Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!"

by Brooklyn Dodgers Mets Fan on Nov 9, 2009 12:54 AM EST up reply actions

He is trending downward, though.

I’d expect something around 1 to 1.5. And honestly, considering what we have, that’s fine on a short deal.

"I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf"
-Tug McGraw

by squid92 on Nov 9, 2009 4:48 PM EST up reply actions

I say cheap and short term he could be a good stopgap while we wait for thole

I would have nothing against signing him for a year

by KeithsMoustache on Nov 9, 2009 12:56 AM EST reply actions

It's not just Thole.

Joe Mauer is due to be a free agent next offseason. His potential availability could slow the Red Sox from extending Victor Martinez, making him available. Gerald Laird and John Buck (yuck, but he’d be one of the better options this offseason) will also be available, and Kelly Shoppach and Russell Martin will be entering their final years of arbitration.

"We're just as bad as the old Mets, but this time nobody's laughing"
-Dallas Green

by Stephen Schmidt on Nov 9, 2009 3:59 PM EST up reply actions