Thaiss on defense

[stormngt]

How is Thaiss doing defensively at catcher.  Can someone with adequate knowledge give me an evaluation?

[full circle]

3 minutes ago, stormngt said:

How is Thaiss doing defensively at catcher.  Can someone with adequate knowledge give me an evaluation?

Serviceable.  Better than expected. 

[Docwaukee]

The measurables that correlate with the eye test are pretty solid.   Footwork related stuff is personally what I see that needs some improvement.  Hard to comment on how he works with pitchers and/or how good of a job he calls games.  Advanced metrics don't like what he's done in that regard.   I've come to feel that the little hand gesture he makes toward the pitcher when he makes a good pitch is annoying.  And he throws the ball back to the mound like he's got the yips or something.  Those aren't relevant as to whether he's doing a solid job but more so that it makes him seem less catcherish if that makes sense.  

In general though he's brought way more value from a really tough spot than I expected and he's done a hell of a job filling in for Logan.  That could have been a major black hole and he's stepped up which is much appreciated.  

He does sort of feel like a sell high candidate though if you had the right buyer.  

[Blarg]

8 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

He does sort of feel like a sell high candidate though if you had the right buyer.  

You can't trade him this year, O'Hoppe is an unknown for a return, it probably will be after the trade deadline.

So in the off season you have to be certain Stassi returns to be O'Hoppe's backup otherwise you are spending for a backup, nobody wants to see Wallach after this season. 

I get the feeling Stassi is done as a player. Whatever caused him to miss the first four months of this season probably cannot be resolved. 

[REDneck]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

You can't trade him this year, O'Hoppe is an unknown for a return, it probably will be after the trade deadline.

So in the off season you have to be certain Stassi returns to be O'Hoppe's backup otherwise you are spending for a backup, nobody wants to see Wallach after this season. 

I get the feeling Stassi is done as a player. Whatever caused him to miss the first four months of this season probably cannot be resolved. 

Pretty much this!

Edited July 20, 2023 by REDneck

[Inside Pitch]

9 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

The measurables that correlate with the eye test are pretty solid.   Footwork related stuff is personally what I see that needs some improvement.  Hard to comment on how he works with pitchers and/or how good of a job he calls games.  Advanced metrics don't like what he's done in that regard.   I've come to feel that the little hand gesture he makes toward the pitcher when he makes a good pitch is annoying.  And he throws the ball back to the mound like he's got the yips or something.  Those aren't relevant as to whether he's doing a solid job but more so that it makes him seem less catcherish if that makes sense.  

In general though he's brought way more value from a really tough spot than I expected and he's done a hell of a job filling in for Logan.  That could have been a major black hole and he's stepped up which is much appreciated.  

He does sort of feel like a sell high candidate though if you had the right buyer.  

His framing was sitting at the 49%, and that dropped recently.  His outs above average paints him as perfectly average.  All things considered and given he had no MLB track record at all, pretty freaking good for a guy that figured to be the third/emergency catcher.

[Second Base]

Thaiss has all the necessary skills and intangibles to be an adequate major league catcher. And it's for those reason, I feel the Angels should trade him in the off-season. Thaiss' bat is SO valuable as a catcher, but it's also reliant upon consistent playing time. With inconsistent at bats, he goes cold. With O'Hoppe returning next season, Thaiss would be relegated to one start per week, maybe two. 

Trade him in December, get a top 100 prospect, and rebuild the farm, which has prevented the Angels from producing a winning product for years. 

And I say this being one of Thaiss' biggest proponents. I've been a fan of God stove c he was drafted. But it's what's best for the Angels, and Thaiss.