Arizona Diamondbacks: Is offense necessary from catchers?

Offensive production from the catching position does not appear a priority for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

If any offense is expected from the catchers of the Arizona Diamondbacks this coming season, this is not likely going to happen. During the winter meetings last month, that assertion was clearly made from general manager Mike Hazen.

No likeness of Buster Posey in Sedona Red, and forget the statue of Johnny Bench strolling to the plate in Chase Field.

There is every reason to believe a direction and core philosophy of defense will not change. This is coming from an organization which follows dictates of analytics and emphasis of the computer to dictate direction. Forget the scout in the stands chopping on an ever-present cigar. It’s numbers, trends, and developments from a spreadsheet which formulate personnel.

With this approach now the norm, the Arizona Diamondbacks would be happy to get a .200 season from Jeff Mathis, penciled in as number one on the 2018 depth catching chart. With a clear emphasis on defense, any number above the Mendoza line would likely be considered a bonus. For an 11-year major league career, Mathis enters the 2018 season with a lifetime .198 career batting average.

Last month at the winter meetings in Orlando, Hazen made it clear that any offense from his catchers would be an unexpected bonus.

That was demonstratively shown in the NLDS last October.

In game three of the series against the Dodgers, and Zack Greinke on the mound for Arizona, manager Torey Lovullo, and likely with direction from Hazen and other decision-makers, went with the light-hitting Mathis over Chris Iannetta.

For the season, Iannetta finished with a .254 batting average and that represented more than 20 points higher than his career average. Plus, Iannetta popped 17 homers and that his second-best power season. Of the 17 slammed, nine tied or gave the Diamondbacks the lead.

By contrast, Mathis finished with an average of .215 but appeared in only 60 games. He was on the shelf with a broken hand from Aug. 22 to Sept. 30 with that fracture but still received the call to catch Greinke in the critical game three of the Dodgers series.

Realizing the Diamondbacks’ emphasis on defense, Iannetta quickly bolted out of the desert and signed a two-year deal with the Colorado Rockies.

Through this scenario and going forward, Hazen has been consistent on his desire to deemphasized offense from behind the plate. That was apparent in telling Call to the Pen the bat is secondary.

“Right now, we’re go with two catchers, but that’s not way we draw it up,” Hazen said. “With catching, it’s defense first, and the main function of the catchers is their ability to control pitchers.”

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If Hazen is prepared to go with two catchers, Mathis would likely get the call on opening day against the Rockies. At this point, he is likely to share duties with left-handed hitting Chris Herrmann and hold-over John Ryan Murphy, who was acquired in a late-season trade with the Minnesota Twins.

Herrmann is coming off a .181 season, and that was on the heels of a productive .284 season in 2016. Reaching strong numbers in 2016, Herrmann appearing in only 56 games. At the same time, power production over the last two seasons remained nearly equal.

In 2016, Herrmann, his initial season with Arizona, popped six homers and drove in 28 runs. Last season in 106 games, he hit 10 homers and drove in 27 runs. Over the course of last season, Herrmann’s value grew as he primarily caught Robbie Ray, who reached a 15-5 (2.89 ERA) season.

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Without near hesitation, Hazen told Call to the Pen he is ready for Herrmann to step forward and increase his workload from a career-high of 51 starts behind the plate a year ago. Herrmann has also shown versatility and played in the outfield and well of capable of giving Paul Goldschmidt a rest at first base.

“I thought Chris was unlucky last season,” Hazen said. “He managed to hit the ball hard and was an excellent catcher for (Ray). Ideally, I would like to go with three catchers, so we’ll see how things play out in spring training.”

Decision-time begins for the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 14. That’s the first workout for pitchers and catchers at the Diamondbacks’ Salt River training facility.