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Odds are he'll pass through waivers and stay with Cincinnati.

They took a flyer on him last year,kept him on the roster all season, but he really was an extreme backup catcher. He is probably second in line to get a recall, so no loss if someone else claims him (and needs to stash him on a 40-man). 

 

The Twins, sadly, don't have that extra roster space, and you have to ask is he a better choice now than Garver, It's a decision the Twins faced when they kept Garver over Turner. And the well is full at AAA and AA right now and,assuming we still have one more season of Castro, a secondary catcher for the longterm isn't needed until 202, when we will see if any of the guys in High A-ball are ready to advance to the big leagues as a backup then (or do we job in an AAAA guy with Garver doing most of the catching).

 

The tell is HOW MUCH CATCHING DOES GARVER DO IN 2018. I hope at least a third of the games, in some capacity (starter, late-inning replacement).

 

It will be interesting with Garver. The short benches have made hitting more important in evaluatinf a backup catcher, which is Garvers strength? Turner was said by many to be a MLB ready receiver? Garver a MLB ready hitter? He may or may not hit at this level, he can possibly throw at this level, but I just cannot see any way he can catch at this level. I only saw him catch a few times last year, but it looked like he was using a frying pan for a mitt. From the games I saw it would be very frustrating to pitch to, or ump behind him at the level he demonstrated.

Why carry a player on the 25 man roster an entire season just to DFA the guy when the next year starts? Turner could have used another year of experience in the minors but instead got 89 PAs for the Reds and hit .134.

I never understood how Turner was selected in the Rule 5, and then even more surprised they kept him the whole year to do nothing.

 

With his hitting numbers, he would have to be the best defensive catcher in baseball history to have a justifiable roster spot if it were up to me.

 

It will be interesting with Garver. The short benches have made hitting more important in evaluatinf a backup catcher, which is Garvers strength? Turner was said by many to be a MLB ready receiver? Garver a MLB ready hitter? He may or may not hit at this level, he can possibly throw at this level, but I just cannot see any way he can catch at this level. I only saw him catch a few times last year, but it looked like he was using a frying pan for a mitt. From the games I saw it would be very frustrating to pitch to, or ump behind him at the level he demonstrated.

Fair enough, but... we may have to take that with a wee bit of a grain of salt.   We have also heard from pitchers that Garver has caught and they have raved about his ability behind the dish.   He may or may not be an All Star ever, but we shouldn't really hold that small sample size against him (at least not yet anyway).

 

 but it looked like he was using a frying pan for a mitt. From the games I saw it would be very frustrating to pitch to, or ump behind him at the level he demonstrated.

Are you referring to Garver or Turner when you say "catching with a frying pan for a mitt"?

 

Why carry a player on the 25 man roster an entire season just to DFA the guy when the next year starts? Turner could have used another year of experience in the minors but instead got 89 PAs for the Reds and hit .134.

 

Seems I remember a team in Minnesota doing the same thing with a pitcher (or was it pitchers) not too long ago.... Pressly and Graham.... not sure if it was at the start of the next season they didn't make the 25 man..... but definitely they didn't stay on the 25 man the whole next year, and not DFA'ed I guess.

Edited March 31, 20188 yr by h2oface

 

Seems I remember a team in Minnesota doing the same thing with a pitcher (or was it pitchers) not too long ago.... Pressly and Graham.... not sure if it was at the start of the next season they didn't make the 25 man..... but definitely they didn't stay on the 25 man the whole next year, and not DFA'ed I guess. Sometimes they just try to slip guys through in a roster crunch, and it is bye bye "birdie".

 

Seems I remember a team in Minnesota doing the same thing with a pitcher (or was it pitchers) not too long ago.... Pressly and Graham....

Yup, Graham was DFA'd pretty early the next year. Probably worse than this Turner decision, as the Twins rostered Graham through a contending season in 2015, as opposed to a thoroughly non-competitive 2017 season for the Reds.

 

Pressly was optioned back to the minors, but was never DFA'd. And he was picked in one of our lean years too, so a worthwhile potential investment.

Edited March 31, 20188 yr by spycake

Are you referring to Garver or Turner when you say "catching with a frying pan for a mitt"?

I was referring to Garver. And will agree with another poster it was a SSS. But that said, it better be the problem, or he better hit .350, with power!

 

Yup, Graham was DFA'd pretty early the next year. Probably worse than this Turner decision, as the Twins rostered Graham through a contending season in 2015, as opposed to a thoroughly non-competitive 2017 season for the Reds.

Pressly was optioned back to the minors, but was never DFA'd. And he was picked in one of our lean years too, so a worthwhile potential investment.

It's much easier to "hide" a rule five guy in the bullpen, since he's one of 7 or 8 relievers, than it is to "hide" a position player. Particularly a catcher, since he's either one of only 2 catchers on the 25 man and has to play, or if one of 3 catchers you've now committed to playing down one position player when you only have 12 or 13 at any one time.