Max Stassi and more available catchers for Marlins to consider

[Kevin Barral]

View full article

[Guest tpjoseph0130]

Although I can see the Marlins making a move for a middling catcher, I prefer an MLB-ready guy like Edgar Quero from the White Sox, who will be very cheap and controllable. Stassi at $7m isn't a good deal - that's twice Stallings' contract, of course. Adding an old guy (Maldonado or Barnhart, as examples) seems Stallings-esque. Let's get a guy we can set up for four or five years minimum, like Quero, and let Banfield marinate. I also figure ABS to come in a few years, rendering the nebulous, subjective ridiculousness that is "framing" a moot skill and having to put up with so-called arbiters like Angel Hernandez (I hope). These types of things are embarrassing to baseball in this century, if the technology is perfected to do away with them. Otherwise, find a cheap backup and pair with Fortes. This will not be the forefront of an otherwise middling 2024 season anyway, IMO. We will have the usual young pitcher trade angst, Bell going at the deadline (we all will be fine with that by then), and another Chisholm injury-plagued year. Increasing an already stretched payroll for tiny needle-movers is a continuation of the patchwork mentality that I hope Bendix's long-term strategic thinking removes. We'll see. Thanks for your insights, as always.