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Chicago Cubs: What to expect out of new catcher Victor Caratini

By Dan Schmelzer

Feb 21, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Victor Caratini poses for a portrait during photo day at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Victor Caratini poses for a portrait during photo day at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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What should we expect out of new Chicago Cubs catcher Victor Caratini?

What an interesting last 24 hours or so for the Chicago Cubs. In their 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, the Cubs’ battery of Jake Arrieta and Miguel Montero allowed seven stolen bases, while not throwing a runner out all game. The Nationals ran at will against Arrieta and Montero, and the Cubs’ catcher was not willing to take the blame after the game. Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic has the comments.

https://twitter.com/sahadevsharma/status/879898036503281664

Sure, Arrieta does not hold on runners well, but Montero’s issues throwing the ball have been well documented. After last night, runners had stolen 31 bases off of Montero in 2017 in 31 attempts. Yikes. The Cubs’ pitchers are undoubtedly slow to the plate, but Montero obviously deserves some of the blame as well.

After the post-game comments, the Cubs decided to part ways with Montero. He was hitting a solid .286/.366/.439 at the plate in a part-time role, but he was a defensive liability and the Cubs clearly were not happy with the way he handled the situation. They decided to designate him for assignment.

I wonder if the Cubs will now look for a veteran backup catcher on the trade market to help spell Willson Contreras. However, at least for the short-term, prospect Victor Caratini is the guy.

Caratini has been an offensive force in Triple-A this season. The 23-year-old switch-hitting catcher is hitting .343/.384/.539 on the season. He is a great contact hitter who also shows nice power to all field.

Caratini has only been a catcher for a few years and still has room to grow defensively. He is not a terrible defensive catcher, but he is going to be far from elite back there. Ideally, a team’s backup catcher is a good defensive player who can handle a pitching staff well. Caratini is a bigger offensive threat than most backup catchers, but his defense is not going to be ideal.

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Caratini is a good player who has a lot of long-term upside. However, I am not sure he is the ideal option to be the backup catcher on this team right now. Do not be surprised if the Cubs try to find a veteran, defensive-minded catcher as Contreras’ backup on the trade market.

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