The Rockies are carrying three catchers for September. Colorado promoted prospect Drew Romo along side final month’s launch of Elias Díaz. He joins fellow rookie Hunter Goodman and veteran Jacob Stallings in Bud Black’s catching corps.
Colorado most likely received’t need to commit absolutely to the unproven duo of Romo and Goodman subsequent season. It appears the membership will look to maintain Stallings within the fold. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding recommended final week that Colorado might attempt to convey him again. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Publish wrote equally in a reader mailbag this morning that there’s mutual curiosity.
Stallings signed a $2MM take care of the Rox final offseason. He’s enjoying on a $1.5MM wage and due at the least a $500K buyout on a $2MM mutual choice for subsequent season. Whereas the only plan of action can be for each side to train the choice, that’s exceedingly uncommon. Stallings figures to say no his finish even when he hopes to remain in Denver. There’s a $1.5MM distinction between the choice worth and the buyout. The 34-year-old backstop (35 in December) has performed properly sufficient to pursue a bigger sum.
In 77 video games, Stallings is hitting .260/.353/.450. He’s not more likely to replicate a .319 common on balls in play, however he has a personal-high 9 homers in 267 plate appearances. Stallings has roughly league common strikeout and stroll numbers to go along with that slight uptick in energy.
Any type of offensive manufacturing from Stallings is a bonus. His main worth lies in his defensive acumen. Stallings received a Gold Glove with the Pirates in 2021. He has a robust game-calling popularity and seemingly works properly as a mentor to the staff’s youthful catchers. Stallings has thrown out a stable 22.5% of baserunners and stays one of many sport’s most sure-handed defenders. He has solely been charged with one handed ball this season and has dedicated all of 4 handed balls because the begin of 2021. Stallings doesn’t grade properly as a pitch framer, however he’s in any other case a stable choice behind the plate.
Stallings will most likely be restricted to 1 12 months however ought to earn a elevate. Colorado signed him coming off a tough two-year stretch in Miami, the place he hit .210/.287/.290 with lesser defensive grades. This 12 months’s manufacturing might push his wage nearer to ensures secured by Luke Maile ($3.5MM), Austin Hedges ($4MM) and Martín Maldonado ($4.25MM) final winter.
Goodman and Stallings have taken the vast majority of latest enjoying time. Romo, 23, has been pushed into a 3rd catcher function after beginning his MLB profession with a .174/.208/.239 slash by means of 13 video games. Saunders writes that the Rox might ship Romo again to Triple-A to begin subsequent season and depend on a Stallings/Goodman tandem in the event that they re-sign the veteran.