Jays Sign Jose Molina
by Tom Dakers on Feb 19, 2010 3:05 PM EST
in Toronto Blue Jays News
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PrintDidn't see this one coming. I guess he and John Buck will battle for the catcher job. A no hit/good glove catcher. He might be a little better defensively than Buck. I guess this makes it less likely we'll see Raul Chavez this year.
BLUE JAYS SIGN JOSE MOLINA
The TORONTO BLUE JAYS have signed C JOSE MOLINA to a US $400,000 contract with incentives for the 2010 season and a club option of US $1.2 million for the 2011 season.
MOLINA, 34, spent last season with the New York Yankees batting .217 with four doubles, one home run and 11 RBI in 52 games. The 6’2" 235 lb. native of Puerto Rico has played for three teams (Cubs – 1999, Angels – 2001-07 and Yankees – 2008-09) over a 10 year career. In 554 games, the right-handed hitter has posted a .235 average with 20 home runs and 136 RBI, while throwing out 37.4% of potential base stealers.
To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP JESSE LITCH was placed on the 60-day disabled list
I guess since it is for the major league minimum that it is an ok deal, but not really a player I'd want.
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Looks like Spring Training injury insurance. Molina=Chavez=Phillips basically, so if someone goes down, you don’t have to rush Arencibia up if he’s not ready. Molina or Chavez will be good fits with Las Vegas and the stable of young starters there. They are veterans, can help tutor them, and they have great control of the opposition running game.
It’s not a signing to get excited about, but it makes good sense.
I rather ave the impatient bat of J.P arencibia then the albatross bat of jose molina/chavez/buck, those guys are horrible at getting on base so why give the rookie a look see.
B/c you don’t want the rookie stuck behind John Buck getting 125ab and not working on his game. You leave him in AAA where he can play every day. If he mashes, then maybe he comes up and challenges Buck. But to call him up to put him on the bench is silly. Molina (or Chavez) are perfectly fine to sit on the bench 5/6 days a week and could even maybe help the young pitchers a little given their experience (Molina especially, he’s caught some good ones that is for sure).
I agree but I want them to give him a shot at winning the everyday gig during spring training and make buck the back up but if they’re going to go with him as a back up then definitely send him to triple A. I just hope if the time comes when he is ready no is going block him.
by Ahmed Abukar on Feb 19, 2010 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
There’s no universe in which Buck, Molina and Chavez block Arencibia if he’s ready. The thing is that it is extremely unlikely, even with a hot spring, that he’s turned the corner and is ready to play in the Majors yet, even as a backup. Once he is, though, utility catchers on one year contracts don’t block a star prospect.
My feeling is if he can post a solid spring and summer, Arencibia will be up as the backup after the All-Star Break to tutor under a catcher, and go into 2011 as the favourite to land the starting job. Mind you, Jerolman is still floating around in the mix, as is D’Arnaud, who will be right there if Arencibia stumbles again.
I agree. Arencibia actually struggled somewhat last year, the PCL is a bit of a joke for pitchers and really easy for hitters and he didn’t exactly set it on fire. If he has a monster spring I just cannot see the Jays holding him back for these guys. The worst I think would happen would be something similar to what the O’s did with Wieters, send him down at first and then call him back a couple months into the season. If they had to cut Buck or Molina loose I don’t think it would be a major issue.
And for what it’s worth, I doubt Arencibia will be ready just yet, not with his approach. They’ll give him some more time in AAA, maybe a July/August call up if he’s doing great but more likely just a Sept call with a good deal of playing time and then a shot to win the job in 2011.
Yeah, even with a monster spring, I don’t see the Jays breaking camp with him. I think they’ll certainly want him to prove himself in April and May first, and if he’s there, then bring him up. The nice thing about Chavez and Molina is that they argubly have more value catching in the minors with our wealth of young pitching. Catchers who can work with pitchers and teach them to help control the running game would be a way to improve a big weakness in our system. Zaun might have had a noodle arm, but none of his starters did anything to check the runners, and in a division where you’re going to see Crawford and Ellsbury a lot, you want to make them wary about swiping a bag.
What I actually kind of like about Chavez or Molina is less about teaching the pitchers to hold runners, it’s about keeping them from having to think about it. The unmeasured impact of having SB threats on base and a weak armed catcher (and against a C who cannot throw, everyone is a SB threat) is that is distracts the pitcher, sometimes even changes his game plan. But when you have a good defensive backstop, the pitcher can focus on attacking the hitter even if there is someone on 1b. I think that’s generally a good thing, especially for the young kids (build confidence). For me, I want the young pitchers focused on the hitter. Make a mistake, move on. Guy on 1b? Don’t worry too much about him, attack the next guy. And I think having help around you (strong defenders in field in general actually) should help keep the pressure off.
Molina
I agree this is a “meh” move but saying: “He might be a little better defensively than Buck” is a bit of an understatement, no? Molina’s calling card is his D, he’s thrown out 40% of runners for his career and is apparently a tremendous receiver. Heck, that whole family is pretty darn good behind the plate it seems.
Buck’s all bat, no glove, and for the past 3 seasons no arm either (21%, 17%, 16% CS … ugh). Don’t get me wrong, Buck’s likely the starter, he’s still a better overall asset than Molina (or Chavez). But defensively don’t get your hopes up for Buck.
Well I suppose, Molina does seem to have the better arm.
I try not to just count CS as the whole value of a catcher’s defense but there really isn’t any really decent metric for catchers yet.
I agree, but scouting reports and anecdotal evidence work too. The fact that Molina even gets contracts with his bat (the guy practically needs to ask the ump for directions to 1b when he gets a hit) should say something about what those who play, scout and manage the game think about his glove. Now, it’s not the greatest example b/c Posada is a horrid defender, but there was a lot of people in NY who really pushed for Molina to get starts behind the dish, particularly the SPs (I think he was Burnett’s personal catcher), so that says something too. Buck, meanwhile, has never been known as a great defender and people weren’t clamoring to sign him this offseason, and while markets aren’t a perfect measure of value they aren’t a bad one either.
Zaun will be 39 in April...
did hit better last year, a 99 OPS+ in 90 game, but I wouldn’t waste a lot of time wishing for him.
no, its water under the bridge now. Just when you think about the reason he left, namely upset about being relegated to no. 2, he would have been just as well off staying with the Jays. I mean he never got a starting role elsehwhere and if he had been with the Jays all along, would have just as likely been the no. 1 guy this year. It is all speculation, but in hindsight …
by aagoodfella on Feb 20, 2010 10:34 PM EST up reply actions
I wanted to see Phillips get a shot. He is only 25.
He is a LHB, seems to be able to hit (a little). maybe they don’t want two sub-average defenders behind the plate, although I thought KP was OK on D.
What the hell?
Why are we stockpiling the exact same players? What’s next? Another light hitting shortstop with a good glove? We only have 2 of those.
"I've only been in love with a beer bottle and a mirror" - Sid Vicious.
by craig in calgary on Feb 19, 2010 5:39 PM EST reply actions
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