The Rays are set to sign veteran catcher J.P. Arencibia, who recently asked for his release from a contract with the Phillies, to a minor league deal, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The 30-year-old Arencibia will return to the organization with which he posted outstanding results in a brief stretch of time in 2015, batting .310/.315/.606 with six homers in 73 plate appearances. His experience with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate this season was another story, as he struggled to a .167/.167/.271 line in 48 trips to the plate, but he’ll seek better results and a perhaps clearer path back to the Major Leagues in his second stint with Tampa Bay.
Currently, the Rays have Hank Conger and Curt Casali splitting catching duties at the big league level. However, Conger is hitting just .170/.220/.170 in 50 plate appearances and has continued to struggle in preventing stolen bases (although to his credit, he’s nabbed three of the past four runners that have attempted). The Rays, currently 23rd in the Majors in runs scored, could certainly stand to inject some offense into the bottom of their lineup, and Arencibia provides an option that could help them achieve that goal in the near future if Conger isn’t able to right the ship. While Arencibia has a history of OBP struggles and strikeouts, he has undeniable power, with 80 homers and a .200 ISO (slugging minus batting average) in 1687 plate appearances at the big league level.
Glad to see him back. What they should of done instead of being in Conger.
Why? Do you realized that Conger has been a better hitter over their careers? Also, for as bad as Conger has been over his 50 PA in MLB this year, JP has been just as bad over his 48 PA in AAA.
Greatest move ever!!!!!
Mendoza career average and ..250 career OBP is a savior to the Rays catching department. Shows how awful that team’s catching has been for years. Sure, he put up fluke numbers over 70AB last year, tho anyone thinks a career hacker will change should invest in Will Middlebrooks stock.
Last year was a fluke but you can’t tell that to the Rays “fans” who wouldn’t know a quality catcher until he bit them and went to another team. By July, they’ll be griping that Conger got DFA’d for JP.
We do know what a quality catcher is. We passed on him and chose to draft a SS instead. Because reasons.
Rays=bad, not so bad catchers. Off the top of my head. X-Rays catchers with other teams still playing…Vogt, Chirinos, Lobaton, Hannigan, Wilson, Gimenez ,Jaso?,Rivera,
Navarro. Really, kind of strange.
It seems every time they let go of a catcher they find their stride.
Lobaton and Hanigan were trade for other pieces and neither have done much. Jaso hasn’t been a catcher in years. Vogt had a nice year in 2015 but has been terrible this year. Wilson and Gimenez are constantly DFA’d and signed to minor league contracts by other teams with cups of coffee in the majors. Chrinios has been the only one to be a somewhat solid regular major league player
But even Chirinos is still injured a lot.