Philadelphia Phillies Offseason Acquisition Targets

Catcher

Cameron Rupp showed that he can handle the bat in 2016, mashing 16 homers while batting .252, good for a 1.6 WAR. While his WAR ranked 18th among catchers, he does provide some pop from behind the plate, and the Philadelphia Phillies could use some offense from wherever they can get it. He’ll be the starting catcher headed into 2016 after starting 105 games at the position in 2016.

The real question is who will be behind him on the depth chart now that Carlos Ruiz is no longer with the team.

The main internal option is Jorge Alfaro, their number four ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Alfaro was acquired in the Cole Hamels deal at the 2015 trade deadline and played in six games in the big leagues last season. His bat didn’t translate in his small sample size, as the 23-year old catcher struck out in 47.1 percent of his 17 at-bats. If the Phillies are hoping to have an outside shot at a wild card berth next year, rolling the dice with Alfaro would be a risky play.

If the Phillies decide to go with another option, there will be a few options on the free agent market, namely Matt Wieters and A.J. Ramos, though they’ll be looking for starting jobs, making it unlikely that they’d join the rebuilding Phils.

Jason Castro is a solid defensive catcher with his glove work, but his offense has always been mediocre at best. He’s one option that won’t break the bank, however.

Another cheap option would be bringing back A.J. Ellis, who is seemingly best known for being Clayton Kershaw‘s personal catcher and best friend. Entering his age 36 season, Ellis wouldn’t be looking for a large role on the field, but his knowledge and professionalism both on and off the field could prove to be a valuable asset to a young Phillies squad. Ellis wouldn’t necessarily be a platoon option, as his splits are fairly similar against righties and lefties, so he could get the call when Rupp needs some time off.

If the Phillies are of the thinking that Alfaro needs a little more seasoning in the minors, Ellis could be a solid option to buy him some time.

Between Rupp, Castro and Ellis, Rupp was the worst catcher of the three in terms of getting extra strike calls for his pitcher. Castro turned 96 balls into strikes over the course of the year, while Ellis had one similar ruling while with the Phillies. Rupp turned in negative nine. A more defensively inclined catcher is the route to go here, and they won’t break the bank.