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Ramon Hernandez

Giants Have Shown Interest In Yorvit Torrealba

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The Giants have scored the fewest runs in baseball in part due to Buster Posey's season-ending injury, so it's not surprising that both Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports are reporting that a catcher upgrade is the team's focus right now. They've specifically shown interest in Rangers' backstop Yorvit Torrealba, who started his career in San Francisco.

There are two significant roadblocks to a deal according to the FOX scribes. First, Texas can not seriously consider moving Torrealba until Mike Napoli comes off the disabled list, at the very least. Secondly, the Giants are reluctant to pay the $3.25MM he's owned next season. The Rangers would want a bullpen arm in return, but San Francisco is hesitant to part with any of their relievers other than Guillermo Mota.

Rosenthal and Morosi say that Ivan Rodriguez, Ronny Paulino, and Ramon Hernandez have also been discussed internally by the Giants. The Reds are unikely to part with Hernandez even though Ryan Hanigan gets the majority of the playing time behind the plate.

Finding Backup Catchers Who Can Hit

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Nearly a month after Buster Posey last suited up for them, the Giants are still searching for catching depth. They signed Max Ramirez today, but he figures to provide organizational depth at Triple-A, not an immediate impact in San Francisco.

Eli Whiteside

Eli Whiteside (pictured) continues playing regularly for the Giants, though his offense remains inadequate and the Giants continue seeking reinforcements. A look at backups around the league provides insight into why Whiteside continues playing so often despite his struggles throwing out opposing base stealers and paltry .190 average.

Few teams, if any, have the catching depth to withstand the loss of a player like Posey. The league average catcher is hitting .241/.314/.378 so far in 2011 and that slash line includes starters as well as reserves. The job of a catcher includes calling pitches, blocking balls in the dirt and throwing runners out as well as hitting, but for the sake of simplicity we’ll focus on offense as we examine the caliber of backup catching in MLB.

Victor Martinez (.324/.373/.498 slash line) and Mike Napoli (.221/.344/.493 before he hit the disabled list) are technically backup catchers, though both DH and play first as well. Ramon Hernandez is one of the few backup catchers who can match Martinez and Napoli in terms of offensive production this year. The 35-year-old has seven homers and a .302/.368/.504 line in 155 plate appearances (Ryan Hanigan now starts for the Reds most days). Royals backup Brayan Pena is another one of the reserves with an acceptable batting line this year: .250/.310/.400 in 113 trips to the plate.

Evaluating backups who have fewer than 100 plate appearances is dangerous, since the sample sizes are generally too small to be reliable. With that in mind, here are some other backstops off to decent starts with the bat: Ramon Castro of the White Sox (.211/.274/.404 slash line in 62 plate appearances), Kyle Phillips of the Padres (.239/.327/.413 in 52 PA), Henry Blanco of the D’Backs (.229/.302/.521 in 53 PA), Ronny Paulino of the Mets (.317/.371/.390 in 89 PA), David Ross of the Braves (.327/.411/.551 in 56 PA), Jose Molina of the Blue Jays (.304/.389/.456 in 91 PA), Brett Hayes of the Marlins (.298/.353/.511 in 52 PA) and the injured Jose Morales of the Rockies (.267/.352/.317 in 71 PA).

Those backups are solid hitters, though certainly not Victor Martinez-like offensive forces, and the're best of the bunch. Most teams are getting far less offensive production from their second catcher and many don't even have one catcher who makes significant contributions at the plate.

There aren’t many options for the Giants or any other club that decides to take on the unenviable task of finding catching help this summer. San Francisco is looking to the Rangers for catching depth, since Texas could make a move once Napoli is healthy enough to play. Wilson Ramos’ performance has led to plenty of discussion and speculation about Ivan Rodriguez, though he’s not the most interesting catcher to watch between now and July 31st.

Ramon Hernandez’s .872 OPS will surely appeal to teams and, unlike most clubs, the Reds could conceivably part with a catcher. Hanigan’s emergence has continued this year and Devin Mesoraco, who entered the season as Baseball America's #64 prospect, is destroying Triple-A pitching. The former first rounder has a .322/.402/.546 line for Louisville after a similarly impressive showing in 2010. 

Given the Reds’ depth – they also have highly-touted prospect Yasmani Grandal in the lower minors – and the shortage of catching in MLB, I won’t be surprised if GM Walt Jocketty hears from a number of interested teams this summer. Only so many catchers can hit and Hernandez is a known commodity who’s playing well.

Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Rosenthal On Willingham, Upton, Reds, Twins

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It's the middle of June and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) says that teams aren't sure if they'll be buying or selling as the deadline approaches..

  • The Athletics certainly look like sellers but they're not ready to just give players away.  Three of their more attractive hitters, David DeJesus, Coco Crisp, and Josh Willingham all make $6MM or less, salaries that are not prohibitive.  The A's can keep all of them, offer them arbitration, and then collect draft picks if they go elsewhere.  Right now, Willingham is the only one of the trio that projects as a Type A free agent.
  • The Rays could sell even while in contention if they believe that they can build something better for the future.  B.J. Upton remains a difficult call for the club.  Desmond Jennings, their top prospect, wouldn't provide as much of an impact.  At the same time, Upton is likely to make more than $6MM next season in arbitration.  Tampa Bay could wait until the offseason to move him but they might get more value if they act sooner.
  • If the Reds wanted to get creative, they could move one of their catchers for starting pitching and promote prospect Devin Mesoraco.  However, the combination of Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan is one of their strengths and they might not want to disrupt the chemistry between their pitchers and catchers.
  • The Twins are at the bottom of the AL Central but GM Bill Smith says that the team still believes that it's in the race.  It also helps that Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, and Joe Mauer are all expected back soon.  Minnesota isn't ready to pack it in just yet, and they're not quite ready to be mid-season sellers.

Reds Re-Sign Ramon Hernandez

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The Reds have re-signed catcher Ramon Hernandez to a one-year contract according to the team's official Twitter feed. FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports that the deal is worth $3MM (Twitter link).

Hernandez, 34, hit .297/.364/.428 with 18 doubles and seven homers in 352 plate appearances this season, though he was usurped by Ryan Hanigan as the team's everyday catcher. Hernandez failed to appear in the 120 games needed for his $3.25MM option to vest, getting into just 97 contests.

Luke Adams broke down Hernandez's free agent stock last month.

Reds Rumors: Cairo, Hernandez, Rhodes, Arroyo

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Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he doesn’t expect to sign a big name free agent this winter. Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee will likely be playing elsewhere next year, though the Reds will boost payroll in 2011.

“I’m always trying to do something, but [signing a top free agent] would be pretty tough,” Jocketty said.

The Reds have had preliminary talks with the agents for Miguel Cairo, Ramon Hernandez and Arthur Rhodes, but Jocketty says he hasn’t yet exchanged potential salaries. The Reds have not spoken to Bronson Arroyo about an extension since picking up his option last week and they are not currently discussing long-term deals with Joey Votto or Jay Bruce.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote yesterday that he expected the Reds to complete a two-year extension with Arroyo this week. Jocketty has said he'd like to reach a deal before the 2011 season begins, but the potential contract may not become a priority until later this offseason.

Reds Rumors: Hernandez, Rhodes, Bruce

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We heard yesterday that the Reds are likely to decline their half of the $4MM mutual option on Orlando Cabrera for 2011 and that the club has interest in retaining Jonny Gomes and Ramon Hernandez. Here’s more news on the 2010 NL Central Champs from John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

  • Devin Mesoraco’s progress could impact the offers the Reds make to Hernandez. Mesoraco, a 22-year-old catcher, had an excellent season at the plate this year. The 2007 first rounder hit .302/.377/.587 at three minor league stops with 26 total homers. He’s now playing in the Arizona Fall League and figures to need more minor league seasoning given his lack of experience in the upper minors.
  • The Reds have talked to Arthur Rhodes’ agent about bringing the lefty back in 2011. Rhodes told Fay he’d like to return and talks will resume next week, so there’s a chance the sides work something out before Rhodes hits the open market.
  • The Reds expect Jay Bruce to qualify as a Super Two, but they haven’t heard official word yet. Bruce would likely earn a few million if he’s arbitration eligible this year and that commitment would likely affect the Reds’ ability to spend on other players.
  • MLBTR's Tim Dierkes heard in June that the Super Two cutoff will be earlier than usual this year and that Bruce will be the Super Two with the fewest days of service time. With just two years and 125 days of service time, Bruce will have less big league experience than any Super Two in recent years.

Reds Likely To Decline Orlando Cabrera’s Option

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"All indications are that" Cincinnati will decline its end of the $4MM mutual option on Orlando Cabrera for 2011, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.  The move isn't exactly a surprise (over 80 percent of MLBTR readers polled last week thought Cabrera's option would be declined), but the Reds are interested in re-signing Cabrera at a lower price.  Earlier this week, Reds GM Jocketty told WKRC Local 12 Sports Director Brad Johansen that Cabrera's option is "probably more than we want to exercise, we'll try to find a happy medium..if not, [Paul] Janish would be our SS." (Twitter link)

Cabrera could be amenable to staying since it appears as though he'd be given at least a share of the starting shortstop job and his lackluster 2010 season — a .263/.303/.354 slash line in 537 plate appearances — will make it hard to find a larger offer or regular playing time elsewhere.  If the Reds pass on the option, they owe Cabrera a $1MM buyout.

Jocketty also told Sheldon that the club also has interest in Ramon Hernandez and Jonny Gomes.  Hernandez is a free agent, while Cincinnati has a $1.75MM team option on Gomes.  MLBTR's Luke Adams recently examined Hernandez's value on the free agent market, while MLBTR's Steve Adams did the same with Gomes yesterday.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Ramon Hernandez

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Ramon Hernandez was on the wrong side of history last night, as part of a Reds lineup that couldn't scratch out a single hit against Roy Halladay. But on the whole, 2010 has been a successful year for the Cincinnati backstop. Hernandez signed a one-year, $3MM contract with the Reds last winter, which included a vesting option for 2011. The 34-year-old fell short of playing the 120 games needed to guarantee his return to the Reds, so he could be heading to free agency this winter. Let's break down his stock, as the Reds prepare for Friday's game….

The Pros

  • Hernandez posted the best OBP and third-best OPS of his career in 2010. His final totals in 352 plate appearances were .297/.364/.428, which represents his best slash line since 2006.
  • His play behind the plate still appears solid. He threw out more than a third of potential basestealers and allowed just two passed balls over the last two seasons.
  • The Reds have a pre-arbitration catcher in Ryan Hanigan, and, as Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News points out, their minor league system seems to be "catcher-rich." As such, there's a chance the Reds will decide not to offer Hernandez arbitration, in which case he wouldn't cost a draft pick to sign.

The Cons

  • Hernandez split time this year with Hanigan, who earned 58 starts. Given that he'll turn 35 in May, Hernandez's days of playing 120+ games behind the plate might be behind him.
  • In addition to his age, Hernandez's health may be a concern. After undergoing knee surgery in 2009, the veteran spent some time on the disabled list in 2010 with knee soreness.
  • Unlike free agent catchers Victor Martinez and John Buck, Hernandez doesn't hit for much power anymore. He hit just 12 longballs during his two years in Cincinnati.
  • Hernandez projects as a Type A free agent, so if he turns down an arbitration offer from the Reds, clubs may be reluctant to give up a high draft pick to sign him.

The Verdict

Whether or not the Reds offer Hernandez arbitration will play a significant role in what sort of contract he earns this offfseason. If the team makes an arbitration offer, the catcher could very well accept it, knowing that his Type A status might hurt his open market value. Even without an arbitration offer, Hernandez may not do better than a one-year deal, given his age and injury history. While his productive 2010 campaign should earn him a raise on last year's $3MM salary, it appears to be a buyer's market for catchers.

Odds & Ends: Heilman, Overbay, Delgado, Reds

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As Nationals fans cross their fingers about Stephen Strasburg, here's some news from around the majors…

  • Aaron Heilman is looking forward to his first taste of free agency, reports MLB.com's Andrew Pentis.  Heilman said that he and his agent hadn't had any talks yet with the Diamondbacks about a new contract.
  • Lyle Overbay thinks he has a chance of returning to the Blue Jays next season, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.  Given the Overbay trade rumors we've been hearing all year, this would certainly be a surprise, especially since the Jays have given Adam Lind a few starts at first recently.
  • Carlos Delgado has been placed on the seven-day disabled list by the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, reports Sportsnet New York's Ben Wagner (via Twitter).  Delgado is experiencing soreness in his back and left hip, not his twice-operated on right hip.  The slugger signed a minor league contract with Boston on August 7.
  • Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News thinks the Reds should "make signing Bronson Arroyo a priority," implies that 2010 is Ramon Hernandez's last year in Cincinnati and gives some other opinions in a fan mailbag.
  • Was Khalil Greene the biggest loss for the Rangers this season?  Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News thinks so, given the team's ongoing depth problems.
  • Ricky Nolasco's contract extension talks with the Marlins may be on hold.  Josh Friedman and Craig Mish of The Ticket 790AM radio report (via Twitter) that the Florida right-hander may miss the rest of the season with a partially-torn meniscus. 
  • Dontrelle Willis has been promoted to Triple-A Fresno, and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that Willis is a candidate to join the Giants when the rosters expand on September 1.
  • LaTroy Hawkins will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.  It's unknown if the scope will reveal more severe damage, but Hawkins says he plans on pitching in 2011.  Since signing a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Milwaukee last December, the injury-plagued Hawkins has made just 18 appearances for the Brewers, posting an 8.44 ERA.

2011 Vesting Options Update

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We began the season with nine potential vesting options for 2011, but they're dropping like flies.  With Alex Cora and Magglio Ordonez now off the board, we look at the remaining three:

  • Trever Miller, Cardinals.  The lefty needs 45 appearances for his $2MM option to vest, and he's made 41 on the season.  He could lock in next year's salary within a week, though a DL-worthy left arm or shoulder injury changes this to a club option. 
  • Darren Oliver, Rangers.  Oliver needs 59 appearances for his $3.25MM option to vest, and he's got 46 so far.  Barring injury, he'll get there.
  • Ramon Hernandez, Reds.  Hernandez needs 120 games for his $3.25MM option to vest.  He's played in 65 so far.  The Reds have only 50 games remaining, so we can cross this one off the list.
  • An honorable mention goes to Billy Wagner, whose $6.5MM option vests with 50 games finished.  Wagner has finished 46 so far.  However just last month he repeated his desire to retire after the season.  Having a guaranteed salary for 2011 might not sway Wagner, since he would've made at least that much on the free agent market anyway.  But what if he finishes the season just shy of the fourth spot on the all-time saves leaderboard?  He's currently 12 away from John Franco, who finished with 424.
  • Also of note is Scott Podsednik, who needs 525 plate appearances to be able to void his $2MM club option.  Pods is 41 PAs shy of that mark.
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