Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander spoke with journalists yesterday at the start of the team’s Spring Training camp. He discussed two positions that are uncertain as the season approaches: shortstop and catcher.
Regarding the shortstop position, Neander mentioned that the team expects José Caballero to start the year (source: Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times). The Rays acquired Caballero, a 27-year-old player, from the Mariners during the offseason in exchange for outfielder Luke Raley. In his rookie season, Caballero played in 104 games and had a batting line of .221/.343/.320 with four home runs in 280 plate appearances.
Although Caballero doesn’t have much power, he has a solid 10% walk rate, allowing him to reach base frequently and be a threat on the basepaths. He stole 26 bases out of 29 attempts and was considered an excellent baserunner overall. Caballero also received positive reviews for his defense at both middle infield positions. While he primarily played second base in Seattle due to J.P. Crawford, he is athletic enough to handle shortstop.
Taylor Walls, another highly-regarded defender with limited offensive potential, has a similar profile to Caballero. Walls, a switch-hitter, posted a .201/.305/.333 line with eight home runs in 349 plate appearances. He was successful in 22 out of 23 stolen base attempts. However, Walls will start the season on the injured list after undergoing hip surgery last October. Once he’s healthy, he could compete with Caballero for the starting job, although he may be slightly behind schedule.
Neander did not provide an update on Wander Franco, who was reinstated to the roster at the beginning of the offseason. MLB is still waiting for the results of the legal process in the Dominican Republic following accusations of sexual abuse of a minor against Franco.
In addition to Caballero and Walls, the Rays have two promising young infielders who could contend for shortstop playing time during the season. Junior Caminero is considered one of the top five to ten prospects in baseball. Osleivis Basabe may not have received as much hype, but he is regarded as one of the better talents in the Rays’ system.
Caminero made the leap from Double-A to the majors at the end of last season. As a 19-year-old, he had an outstanding .324/.384/.591 performance between High-A and Double-A. However, he has yet to play in Triple-A. Basabe appeared in 31 MLB games last season, struggling with a .218/.277/.310 line. However, he had a more successful season at Triple-A Durham, hitting .296/.351/.426 in 94 games.
While the Rays have 12 infielders listed on their 40-man roster, most of them are better suited for positions other than shortstop. In contrast, they only have one catcher on the roster. René Pinto is currently the primary catcher for the major league club, and the Rays are satisfied with him, according to Topkin. Although they will add another catcher before Opening Day, the Rays prioritize defense at the position. Pinto’s blocking metrics were below average in limited MLB action, but he received positive grades for pitch framing and has a strong arm.
Non-roster invitees Alex Jackson and Rob Brantly have MLB experience and are competing for a spot in camp. Logan Driscoll and Nick Meyer also received invitations to Spring Training but have only reached Triple-A. Either Jackson or Brantly is likely to secure the backup catcher role. Neander mentioned that the team will monitor the market for additional depth options but expressed contentment with Pinto as the starter.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com