Un-Official Vote: Who's the Mets catcher?

by ZaBlanc on May 11, 2009 9:33 AM EDT

Assuming Brian Schneider gets healthy again, and healthy alternatives, who should be the Mets starting catcher? Brian was the original starter, cut down due to injury. Ramon was the backup. And Omir was the most recent pickup called on when Brian went down.

I won't inject any editorialization. So, who do you think should be the starter?

Let's get an idea as of right now. We'll take another vote later when Brian is ready to come back!

Poll

Who should be the Mets starting catcher for the rest of the season?

Brian Schneider

17 votes

Ramon Castro

111 votes

Omir Santos

37 votes

165 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Should vs Will

Ramon Castro should get the majority of plate appearances and Brian Schneider should get somewhat fewer, though I’d probably be fine with an equitable split. More likely is that Schneider will get the bulk of the playing time and Castro will beg for his scraps.

Santos has hit surprisingly well, but he has one walk and an unsustainable 40.6% line drive rate. Once his slugging percentage begins to drop I suspect he will swiftly approach replacement level. In other words: enjoy it while it lasts.

by Eric Simon on May 11, 2009 9:47 AM EDT reply actions

You're assuming two things, I imagine:

1) Hippo is healthy; and
2) Hippo doesn’t get run out of town in favor of keeping Santos.

"The definition of edge is going out there and getting a few wins, and then all of a sudden you don’t have to worry about anyone talking about edge anymore," Wright said. "That's a thing in the past. Go ask Omar about that."

by Catsmeat Potter-Pirbright on May 11, 2009 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes

For the purpose of these hypothetical debates I always assume health. The interjection of eality often makes those assumptions risky, though.

by Eric Simon on May 11, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Castro's health is the major issue

In a perfect world, he’d be the starter, but I just don’t think the guy’s body can handle starting.

2009 Mets: maybe its the Phillies turn to have a terrible bullpen?

by Greenpoint Ian on May 11, 2009 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm assuming the Schneider votes

were by people who meant to click Castro’s name.

by ams258 on May 11, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

shadd up

I’m an idiot, apparently.

No disrespect intended there Brian but you are not nearly as good as Castro.

by meigs1414 on May 11, 2009 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Brian Schneider is not a good baseball player.

Though I do believe he has a future in car sales.

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

by squid92 on May 11, 2009 11:49 AM EDT reply actions

I wouldn't mind a Castro/Santos

even split platoon. Santos seems competent both behind the plate and as a late-inning pinch-hitter/sub, that one infamous AB excluded. If it were possible to send Schneider and say $1m of his salary somewhere for a mid level prospect to a contender in July, I’d be happy with that.

by deadspy3 on May 11, 2009 11:49 AM EDT reply actions

Santos

Is everyone sold on Santos? I predict he’ll be Robinson Cancel redux in less than a month.

by Eric Simon on May 11, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm not sold on Santos at all

But Jerry Manuel seems to be. So does Ron Darling.

by ams258 on May 11, 2009 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

But isn't that

the same as Schneider except with more home runs? And cheaper?

by deadspy3 on May 11, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Schneid

Brian Schneider was an average NL catcher last year, which is far from awful.

Price is really a non-factor considering that the Mets are already on the hook for paying Schneider.

by Eric Simon on May 11, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

To be fair...

I’m not sold on Schneider. He just sucks, in my humble opinion.

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

by squid92 on May 11, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

I mean, he does seem useful defensively at least, but his bat won’t last. Once pitchers start realizing he’s allergic to walks, he’s going to start seeing lots of pitches that will make him look foolish swinging at.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 11, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Josh Thole/Ramon Castro

Get Thole up here: guy’s hitting .337/.422/.435, not much power, but that OBP is phenomenal.

by DevonEdwards on May 11, 2009 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

He's still learning the position

He didn’t become a full time catcher until last season. He’s going to need some time.

by Lunkwill Fook on May 11, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah his bat seems to be there but his defense was lacking last year.

by Gina on May 11, 2009 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

With the way he’s hit, and I’m sorry for wishing this on anyone, I actually kind of want him to get promoted to Buffalo. Getting him up there catching vets like Figgy and Knight and Dessens could help speed up his defensive progress, since he won’t have to focus on helping the young pitchers in Bingo develop so much and he’ll have the benefit of learning from guys with experience.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 11, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah he really seems to understand the zone well

13/14 K/BB in 102 PAs, awesome. And he’s done that every step of the way. He was 38/45 in 347 PAs in HiA and 57/61 in 458 PAs in A. He still needs refinement behind the plate though.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 11, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not sold on Santos

But, then again, I’m not sold on Schneider either.

by Lunkwill Fook on May 11, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions

I don't think whether or not you're "sold" on Sanots should even be an issue

He is what he is, a AA catcher who’s enjoying a small amount of success in the small sample.

King of the bling come to lay down the evidence//Not George Bush, L-Millz be da president

by Sam Page on May 11, 2009 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

Santos is a total fluke

Schneider, for all his faults, is better long term than Santos. I want a platoon with Castro and Schneider with Castro getting a majority of the AB’s. If one of them gets hurt, then bring up Thole or if he isn’t ready to catch at the major league level, Cancel. Of course this will never happen since the Mets are now in love with Santos but that is what should happen.

by Endys Game on May 11, 2009 12:26 PM EDT reply actions

what would really be nice

is if Santos stays hot a little longer and you could trade him for something of some value like another arm for the pen or reserve IF or something like that.

by Endys Game on May 11, 2009 12:28 PM EDT reply actions

That sounds great

except that Minaya is exactly the type of GM who would be overwhelmingly convinced by a two-week hot streak by a middling career minor leaguer.

by Eric Simon on May 11, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I am hoping Omar is smarter than that.

But I agree with you, he may very well not be.

by Endys Game on May 11, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Is their an other option?

by Gina on May 11, 2009 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

I think Castro is the best option

But he also hasn’t give us any reason to think he can handle more than 300-400 innings a year. Schneider isn’t awful but probably not worth the money he’s being paid and rather uninspiring, I’d like them not to resign him just because I’m tired of seeing his name in the line up. But i’m sure we’ll not only resign him but slightly overpay to keep him and go into next season with the deadly duo of Schneider and Santos.

by Gina on May 11, 2009 1:41 PM EDT reply actions

Santos is Argenis Reyes pt 2

Good defense, and a bat that looks passable so long as pitchers are challenging him. The latter, just like with Argenis, won’t last.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 11, 2009 2:21 PM EDT reply actions

But at least with Argenis

he wasn’t much worse, if worse at all, than the other options.

by Gina on May 11, 2009 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

True

Because of defense more than anything else. But, let us rejoice in the knowledge that slappy does seem to have legitimately rebounded. He’s running well, his defense is back to being about average, and he’s actually hitting some line drives.

"All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet

What a fool I was to defy him"

-HST

by Mark Himmelstein on May 11, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Santos

It is worth noting that Santos runs much better than Brian or Ramon. I would think that alone in the cavernous citi field, why do people describe it as cavernous, would be worth keeping him around. He thrown out runners well also.

by Delgado on May 11, 2009 6:09 PM EDT reply actions

not really worth the roster spot at all.

If you’re just gonna keep a guy around for speed, let’s call up Argenis.

by BlackOps on May 11, 2009 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions

not if he doesn't get on base enough for his running to matter

by Gina on May 11, 2009 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Runs better =/= worthy of significant playing time.

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

by squid92 on May 11, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions

unless all other skills were the same

Like, if you were choosing between two shortstops who hit ~.300/.350/.450 with similar defensive skill sets, you’d rather the one with Jose Reyes’ speed than the one with Ryan Theriot’s speed.

by cjmulrain on May 12, 2009 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions