Angels are apparently looking for a backup catcher

[Ohtaniland]

Scioscia Jr. Coming soon.

[ELEVEN]

Waiting for the Conger for Mathis deal to finalise...

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Bob Boone.

[AZMike]

Scioscia would have benched Mike Piazza.

 

Scioscia : Piazza :: Mathis : Napoli

[angelduck]

He's the only FA catcher left

 

Welp..Then I guess JD is going to have to look to deal. 

[jshep]

Angels really screwed themselves by not finding a veteran backup in the offseason. I think Conger deserves it at this point but if his defense is this bad in the regular season, then we'll be in real trouble. Iannetta is going to need to play 100-110 games, which realistically won't happen.

Ya, if they really weren't as convinced that Conger could be a backup catcher as was indicated, they should have added someone who isn't Luke Carlin.

Now they've backed themselves into a corner where they're likely looking at using someone terrible in that role, or overpaying for someone who isn't terrible.

[Troll Daddy]

Catcher is a defensive position first ... I trust MS. Conger still has time to get better.

[Brent Maguire]

Ya, if they really weren't as convinced that Conger could be a backup catcher as was indicated, they should have added someone who isn't Luke Carlin.

Now they've backed themselves into a corner where they're likely looking at using someone terrible in that role, or overpaying for someone who isn't terrible.

Yeah I'm just confused. Do they really think Hester is the best backup option? I really hope not.

[EDinTUSTIN]

Conger is a better option than what is currently available, and certainly he is more cost worthy and under club control. While he has certainly not made the most of his opportunities in the past, he is have a real good spring with the bat.

[Oz27]

I used to think Conger could develop into something pretty good, but he's still awful defensively and you can't make up for that with an .821 OPS in your third attempt at AAA. Even if he ever gets better defensively, I can't see him being much more than an average starting catcher. It's looking increasingly unlikely that defensive improvement ever comes too.

[DMVol]

I have wondered why they haven't given Conger a shot at 3b, OF or 1b....he obviously hasn't progressed as a C....

[Michifan]

Shouldn't it be a concern that even a marginal catcher doesn't improve with Scioscia as a tutor? Shouldn't he be a manager that can actually make catchers better? And yet Mathis seems to be the only catcher who suggests Scioscia made him better. 

 

Maybe what Scioscia actually wants is to be a player/coach.

[YouthofToday]

Michifan nailed it.

[jshep]

With rosters being pared down this time of year, the Angels will look to the waiver wire to add a steady, inexpensive, veteran presence behind the plate. They have an open spot on the 40-man roster after slipping Bobby Cassevah, now with the Rockies, through waivers.

 

http://aldengonzalez.mlblogs.com/2013/03/16/angels-in-search-of-a-backup-catcher/

 

So is "steady, inexpensive, veteran presence behind the plate" just code for "It's going to be someone who is bad at baseball" when we're talking about the kind of guys who will be on the waiver wire this time of year?

[Scott34]

Lets see who we get before criticizing criteria for move, jshep.

[jshep]

Well, based on those criteria and the fact that they waited this long to start looking for catching help, there seems to be a very high chance we're getting a bad baseball player.

 

If they find someone who is actually talented, great, but the odds of that seem pretty slim.

[DMVol]

Jshep: Unless you're willing to trade something of value...which could include Conger, who some clubs may value more than the Angels (see Napoli)...

[Scott34]

Found the solution.  Luis Jimenez was a catcher when he was 18 in the DSL.  He threw out 46%.  Clearly he is ready to jump right back in to catching.

[mike_hllywa]

Scioscia would have benched Mike Piazza.

 

Scioscia lost his job to Piazza. Probably explaining (at least a little bit) why he is the way he is with the team's backstops. 

[mike_hllywa]

Anyone got a list of veteran backups still on the FA market? I know Treanor is out there, but he sucks.

 

Treanor is it. 

[Hollyw00d]

conger is absolute garbage defensively, and he hasn't proven he can hit at the ML level.  This is a no brainer

[Hollyw00d]

Scioscia would have benched Mike Piazza.

 

facepalm.  are people seriously comparing hank conger to mike piazaa

[tdawg87]

No.

[Richard]

And Conger just left the game with a wrist or forearm injury.

[angelduck]

And Conger just left the game with a wrist or forearm injury.

 

Scioscia approves

 

I'm kidding, for those of you who didn't catch the sarcasm