Bleacher Bums Forum

If Schwarber continues to hit well in AA and can be a decent catcher he'll rank in the top 10 and it wouldn't shock me to see him in the top 5.

Yeah, but what about that study arguing that Jose Molina, as a framer, was better and more valuable overall than Albert Pujols in his prime as a Posada-type defensive catcher?

Shouldn't Cubs be grooming Will Remillard as catcher of the future?

If Schwarber is second coming of Albert Pujols offensively but is a subpar framer, why should he catch over Remillard if you agree with study?

Pujols was drafted as a 3B.  Nobody seriously considered him for catcher.  Don't care what that study says.  Jose Molina, as a framer, would have been better than Mays, Banks, and Rizzo as a catcher, too.

As far as framing goes Schwarber has the body type that can lead itself to being good at framing.  I'll take a guy that can be above average with the bat at catcher and have a Ross type backup and get the best of both worlds.

On the other hand, why sign Ross when you already have Castillo?  This front office certainly does not ignore the value of framing.

Nobody should ignore the value of framing.  The issue is what is the comparative value of framing?

Hard to know how much the Ross/Castillo decision pertains to framing and how much pertains to handling the pitcher staff.  Ross is really good at both and Castillo is poor at framing and purportedly poor at handling a pitching staff too. 

So, hard to know how much weight Cubs front office gave to either skill in making this decision.  Would not assume that it's mostly framing.

Way too easy.  For the moment. let's not assume Schwarber is good at framing.  What if Schwarber hits like Pujols and frames like Posada?  The study at issue says Jose Molina is better than that guy. 

Begs the question to assume that Schwarber has the body type to be good at framing.  What if he's Posada at framing and hits like Pujols?  Simple question.  Do you want that guy to catch for you for the foreseeable future or do you want Jose Molina instead?

Simple question.  And, let's assume that Ross is the backup to either guy.

In an era of depressed offense I would take his left handed bat over Molina everyday of the week.

Way too easy.  For the moment. let's not assume Schwarber is good at framing.  What if Schwarber hits like Pujols and frames like Posada?  The study at issue says Jose Molina is better than that guy. 

Does anyone have a link to the study.  I remember that it was said that Molina was more valuable to the team, but was it because of framing, specifically, or was it because of overall defense.  There is a lot more to catcher defense that merely framing.

1) If I'm really confident that framing is worth what people are saying and the numbers where significantly in favor of Molina then yes.  I am I personally there, right now, no.
2.) Only the steroid era and that is more of a maybe.
3.) No.  The Cubs just need lefties so if I was on the fence it would matter.
4.) I'm serious about the body type.  Big guys cover more of the plate with their mass, so less movement is needed to catch the ball.

Does anyone have a link to the study.  I remember that it was said that Molina was more valuable to the team, but was it because of framing, specifically, or was it because of overall defense.  There is a lot more to catcher defense that merely framing.

It was an internal Yankee study quoted in a Grantland article, so nobody has it.  From the data the public ha,s it is at best a wash if you assume Pujols was producing around 60 runs above average on offense.  Peak Pujols produced more and peak framing Molina couldn't catch him.