Former first-round pick Matt Thaiss was a catcher in college but was drafted more for his bat than his defensive skills. Upon selecting him with the No. 16 overall pick in 2016, the Angels immediately converted Thaiss to a corner infielder. However, manager Joe Maddon tells reporters that Thaiss, who moved back behind the plate in Triple-A this season, will now be considered a full-time catcher (Twitter link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). Thaiss was recalled from Triple-A today, with righty Janson Junk being optioned to Salt Lake in his place.
It’s a notable development for the Angels, who’ll likely entrust Max Stassi with the bulk of the catching workload in 2022 but will also see veteran Kurt Suzuki become a free agent this winter. For now, Thaiss gives the Halos an option to perhaps see some time as a backup next year. However, if he proves to be a passable option behind the dish and can carry over any of his minor league production to the big leagues, Thaiss would give the Angels a potential long-term option at catcher.
That’s a tall order for a player who didn’t receive great reviews for his defense at catcher even dating back to his college days at the University of Virginia. Baseball America noted in 2016, when ranking Thaiss as the No. 28 prospect in the draft, that he had “more than enough arm for the position, but many scouts aren’t sold on his receiving and blocking skills despite the work he’s put into both.” He was regarded as a polished hitter but one who was best-suited for a position change. The Angels clearly agreed, as Thaiss didn’t catch a single game in their system until earlier this year.
Thaiss has yet to provide much offense in the big leagues, although he hasn’t had much of a look — just 196 plate appearances in that three-year span. He’s walked in 11.2 percent of those plate appearances, connected on nine homers and struck out at a 31.1 percent clip. The overall .201/.291/.397 slash isn’t good, but there’s some obvious power and a knack for drawing walks with Thaiss. His small sample of MLB work paints the portrait of a three-true-outcomes slugger, but strikeouts haven’t been a major issue for Thaiss in the upper minors. He’s fanned in 18.3 percent of his Triple-A plate appearances over three seasons and, this year, is slashing a very solid .280/.383/.496 with 17 long balls in 449 trips to the plate.
The move to catcher, in some ways, is partly out of necessity. The presence of Jared Walsh, Shohei Ohtani and (until he was released in May) Albert Pujols cut into any available at-bats at first base or designated hitter. The signing of Anthony Rendon nixed any chances of Thaiss becoming a long-term option at the hot corner. Thaiss could’ve conceivably been a fill-in at third this season, given Rendon’s injuries, but he’s instead been honing his catching skills down in Triple-A. It’s a small sample of just 54 games, but Baseball Prospectus gives Thaiss solid marks both in framing and blocking. He’s thwarted just 20 percent of stolen base attempts (12 of 60). It’s a work in progress.
Thaiss’ defensive development (or lack thereof) as a catcher carries some long-term implications. While the incumbent Stassi has enjoyed a quietly hit .256/.340/.463 with 20 homers in 415 plate appearances since Opening Day 2020 — a breakout that should really garner more attention than it has — he’s also on pace to be a free agent after the 2022 campaign. There’s an opportunity for Thaiss to make the necessary improvements and position himself as a plausible successor to Stassi, so it’s well worth keeping an eye on his progress behind the dish over the next year. If he’s unable to make the adjustment, he’d be out of minor league options by the time 2023 rolls around, clouding his outlook with the Halos.
I don’t think anyone is talking about Stassi breaking out because he sorta did the same thing early in 2018.
He seems to be mostly a first half player.
Thaiss could be nice, but at what price? Hopefully he will suffice.
A nod to happy Gilmore?
This man did not receive rave reviews, like Peter O’Brien.
Was hoping they would move him or Ward behind the plate.
Also we had some terrible first round picks over the last 6-7 years
^ The last sentence.
What they’re basically doing is taking care of the backup C position, and using that to open a permanent utility role for Thaiss that he should’ve already gotten.
A permanent utility role usually goes to a defensive specialist who won’t embarrass himself with the bat. Maicer Izturis comes to mind.
Are you saying Matt Thaiss is a defensive specialist?
He can’t hit! Can’t catch! Why did we draft this guy? This is what I’ve wondered on the day we drafted him and still today. He’s taking up a roster spot.
Angels were a lot deeper in their system in those days. They don’t have the same infield depth as they do in their outfield. Taylor Ward has clawed his way into a decent utility player when healthy. They can give Thaiss a chance to do the same.
Angels are so thin organizationally behind the plate that their top Catching prospect is still at least four years away. Thaiss, Anthony Bemboom and Drew Butera have been behind the plate at AAA for most of the season
His name is actually Sal Butera, but no harm done
Sal is his father
Sal is almost 70 now, I doubt he is playing in AAA anywhere
Can’t hit enough to be on a corner, can’t field enough to be behind the plate
Move on already
This may be a dumb question, but why do you get rated for “framing” if you are a catcher? Isn’t that a statistic for how successful you are at cheating? If I’m an ump, nobody with a high “framing” score would ever get the benefit of my doubt.
Framing has always been a part of the game. When a ball is traveling 95 mph the human eye can’t really keep up all the way to the glove. Getting that borderline pitch called your way isn’t really cheating like say the Astros or using SpiderTack.
It has always baffled me how a horrible catching technique (framing) has become synonymous for getting strikes called.
I don’t know a single catcher in baseball who practices the framing technique.
@Halo11Fan
Really? If you watch games you should see it everyday. Low balls being pulled up for called strikes…
Halo11Fan
I don’t know a single catcher in baseball who practices the framing
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I don’t actually know any catchers, but there are techniques for getting better calls. You try to keep your elbow inside the strike zone, so the only thing that moves is your glove. It’s easier to discern the movement if your whole arm moves.
And it isn’t new. I did so when I caught many years ago. My only complaint is that some catchers try to frame every pitch, and you can see them trying to grab a pitch 3-4 inches outside, and pulling it back into the strike zone. That’s just begging for the umps to ignore, or actually punish you.
Some of the really good ones, you can barely see any movement at all.
As someone who played catcher in college, I’m assuming this HaloFan comment is dripping in sarcasm. At least I’m hoping it is….
Strike calling is more reliably put on the umpire than the catcher. Teams know which umps have a tight or expanded zone. That’s why there is a lot of variance from year to year with trying to put it on the catcher. Can’t convince me they just suddenly forgot how to catch. McCann didn’t suddenly catch better his option year. He just had a different slate of umps with larger strike zones.
It’s as much about getting borderline pitches that *are* strikes called as it is about getting borderline pitches that *aren’t* strikes called.
In overly simplistic terms, a poor framer is giving away borderline strikes and missing extra ones. A good framer is saving borderline strikes and getting some extras thrown in.
I doubt any umpire is going to let someone’s framing metrics impact the way they call a game. If anything, that’d just lead them to have a tighter zone and probably miss more calls. They call the game to the best of their ability, not to spite a good defensive catcher at the expense of their own accuracy.
It is also reliant on the pitcher’s accuracy. If a pitch should be upper inside corner and comes in lower outside corner, even if it’s in the strike zone, it’s most likely to be called a ball. Even a good framer can’t overcome a bad pitching staff.
Framing will be a thing of the past if electronic strike zones are incorporated into the MLB.
I seriously hope there won’t ever be electronic strike zones. What happens to a zone when you got a 6’5 guy like Judge vs a 5’7 guy like Altuve? Does the zone change? How’s that gonna work? What about a guy who crouches vs a guy who hits standing straight? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me. The League can’t even get replay right. About half the time I don’t agree with the replay call—I can see with my own eyes on my TV broadcast’s instant replay. Besides, baseball has always had that “human” element. I like that element and the drama that sometimes follows. It likely all balances out in the long season. But With instant replay, we have lost the dramatics (Earl Weaver anyone?) and gain delays in the “do we challenge or don’t we” dead time. Uggggh. I would recommend that they get rid of instant replay entirely except for fair/foul hit by pitch and home run disputes. But balls and strikes NO THANK YOU.
Angels “development.” Draft the most projectible bat and immediately start making swing adjustments.
Notice how Jahmai Jones also crushed the AFL but would be welcomed back to the fold with multiple swing adjustments per year.
I think people in our system justify their jobs by instituting changes despite what obviously works for guys.
Angels announced he was going to catch this year and they give him a total of.. 53 games at AAA. When they called him up he was only a bullpen catcher. Not sure they will ever give him a chance if not in the minors
You can say what you want about the Angels, but the fact is Thaiss has not provided enough production forcing the Angels to give him ABs.
Then why are we leaving comments to an article about Matt Thaiss becoming a catcher. Seems his AAA production this year was worth an article write up.
I believe he’s going to be in his 7th season. Why has it taken so long to let the catcher you drafted finally catch. Yeah it’s not on the Angels development team I know.
what a dumb way to draft and develop(ruin) players! sell the team, arte!
Just the worst run organization in baseball.
#bigdaddyhacks
How do you think I feel; I grew up in NY a Mets fan, still am, and now work and live 1 mile from Angel stadium and am a die hard Honk since it doesn’t conflict.
I am double dipping in misery!!
Canosucks, ouch… thats rough. The good news is you get to see alot of deGrom, Trout and Ohtani. And on the Mets side, you can commiserate with MetsFan22.
The Angels have just scuffled along for the past 7 years with the best player in MLB the entire time and a top 5 the last couple of years.
Their farm system has really been stagnant, and for the most part the FA signings have been less than ideal. They could get a king’s ransom for both Trout and Ohtani, which would bring much needed talent to their farm and pieces for the MLB roster. As they are currently built they are not going to contend now or in the near future and will be 3rd most popular team in SoCal.
I’ve said this a couple of times in the past year or so. It isn’t quite as sacrilegious as it once was. A couple of years ago, when he was an 8-9 WAR player, FG (?) ran an article saying it was difficult to conceive a trade for prospects that would be even.
Now he is 30. His speed has declined. BB/K has declined. 14/3 SB/CS over three years. GB% has increased. UZR has declined.
He is still a really good player, but how long will that last? Will it last as long as his salary, to age 38?
But more importantly, are you going to win with him? You have Ohtani for two more years, which is really good, but the rest of the team is fairly mediocre. And if you extend Ohtani, then you have three players making $35M+.
The Angels can have three players at $35+ million provided they continue to find productive, low cost contributors like Walsh, Fletcher and Stassi. Alas, scouting, drafting and development have not been priorities for the Angels under Arte making it a risky, at best, business model for them. A team like the Dodgers, that continues to churn out productive, cost controlled players is in better position player developement-wise to have a top heavy payroll.
Everyone who mentions we should trade Trout ignores 2 facts: Trout chose to be a career Angel and he has a full no trade clause.
Trout is not a victim.
“he has a full no trade clause.”
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Which he can conceivably choose to waive. At some point, he is going to want to think about winning a ring or two.
Joe – I’ve never spoken with Trout. All I know are the facts from my perspective. I have to believe that Trout signing a career contract means he will be an Angel his whole career. He knew the Angels prior to the contract and knew what to expect from Moreno. Now Ohtani, I believe he will leave if Moreno keeps up his anti-pitching staff campaign. I think we have a perfect storm of Maddon and Minasian to get the pitching we need to win and this will be a moot conversation.
That’iss nice.
Thaiss will be great and is ready for a breakout season.
They need to move Taylor Ward back behind the plate. He’s a much better option better bat better glove behind the plate.
The Angels SUPER talented pitching staff will really benefit throwing to a guy who has had half a season behind the plate since college.
Organization simply won’t be a winning one.