[ayaghmour2]

Battling to Start
C Alex O'Dailey (34, DNP; .400, 1, 1)
C Milt Payne (26)
C Chappy Sanders (24)

Catcher is an absolute mess in Chicago, as the entire organization has a combined 15 FABL plate appearances after losing Stan Czerwinski (.211, 15, 24) to the Suns in the expansion draft. At this point, I have absolutely no idea who we're going to open the season with on Opening Day, as none of the options are all that exciting. Starting with the vet, the "favorite" to secure a spot might be an old draftee of mine Alex O'Dailey, who split last season between Little Rock and Milwaukee. The 34-year-old doesn't strike out much, puts the ball in play a bit, and has a solid eye, but he's a poor defender who doesn't double or hit homers, and his speed is what you expect for a catcher. But, he's the greatest Cougar hitter of All-Time (minimum 5 PAs), with a beautiful 322 WRC+, and his veteran presence might be a boost to this pretty young squad.

Assuming no outside additions, he's likely to be at least a backup, as Milt Payne and Chappy Sanders are both young, and I probably want one of them catching everyday in AAA. In terms of upside, Chappy is the guy, and he might be the best of the three catchers, with the added bonus of being a capable fifth (or I guess sixth) outfielder. Acquired with Hugh Pate (.213, 5, 15), who was lost to Minneapolis in the expansion draft, for Washington current young stopper Carl Levy (12-6, 20, 3.93, 84), Chappy was taken 17th in the 1958 draft, and ranked as high as 67th on the prospect lists. He's dropped a bit since, but I feel like it's a little unfair. He spent most of his time last year in A ball, where he hit .296/.409/.589 (162 OPS+) in 93 games, before upping that to .275/.410/.687 (185 OPS+) in 38 games with the Governors. His lack of upper level minor league experience is a little concerning, but he's an extra base machine and almost never strikes out. Last season he hit 22 doubles, 4 triples, and 38 home runs, excellent numbers at any level. A strong, 6'4'' lefty, Dixie thinks he's got all the tools to start, as he does well on both sides of the field. He's an excellent framer and solid at blocking and throwing, and while no Czerwinski, he's still above average defensively. The spring will be big for him, as if he can handle big league and big league adjacent pitching, it's worth giving him a shot early.

Last is Milt Payne, who I can't really see starting. Acquired in the mistake of a trade with St. Louis for Jerry Smith that got us literally nothing of value, Payne has a chance to be the only one of five prospects to debut. That's mainly because our options are so thin, as there is nothing he does better then average. He's a below average hitter and an average defender, and he's yet to get past A ball. For some reason, he was added to the 40, and at 26 he's probably already as good as he'll be. His best chance at big league action is to be the backup to whoever wins the starting job, but if we can find a catcher outside the organization, he could be the 40-man casualty.

Next Men Up
C Dode Edwards (35)
C Gus Wilson (34, DNP, .200)
C Johnny Hook (31)

A group of suckers and scrubs, if we have to tap into this group, we are truly in trouble. Despite all three dudes being over 30, only Gus Wilson has made it to the majors, getting a whopping 10 PAs between three seasons with the Dynamos. Wilson is a terrible defender, but he's got a good eye and is a better hitter then Payne and maybe O'Dailey. The glove makes him almost unplayable, but Edwards and Hook aren't too gifted there either. What Hook has going for him is being an acquisition of mine, picked up in the John Moss deal, but the AI has him in AA so he's likely the worst of this sorry bunch. There's not too much in free agency, but I'm already sorting through the rubble to boost this position group.

Down on the Farm
8th/114th: C Raul Zamora (19, 2nd Round Pick, 1960)
9th/161st: C Chappy Sanders (24, Trade with Eagles, 1960)

I mentioned earlier how Chappy was underrated on the prospect list, 161st seems silly for a plus defender and plus hitter who's big league ready, but he's one of really only two catching prospects we have with any value. The other is Raul Zamora, taken in the 2nd Round of the 1960 draft. A young, bat-first backstop, Zamora isn't anywhere near impacting the big league team, but he's an athletic kid from Cuba, who like Chappy, is a strong 6'4'' slugger. He hit a nice .304/.409/.503 (106 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 7 homers, and 30 RBIs in 208 PAs with La Crosse. An above average contact hitter who may bat around .300, he's got solid pop and will be able to leg out some doubles and even a triple or two. Not a prototypical catcher, he's an interesting prospect to watch, and in three or more seasons he may be able to secure the job for himself.

Just for Fun?
RF Henry Watson (23, .302, 26, 90; .317, 46, 166, 9)

You know the catching situation is bad when I'm actively considering an outfielder for the catcher spot, but Henry Watson is not your average outfielder. Acquired from the Saints way back in 1956 in the Garland Phelps trade, Watson debuted in 1960, and hit .340/.382/.561 (146 OPS+) with 17 doubles, 3 triples, 20 homers, 76 RBIs, and 5 steals in 411 PAs. Good enough to secure the starting job, he posted another great season last year, and was named to his first All-Star game. Watson hit a still solid .302/.336/.497 (116 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 3 triples, 26 homers, and 90 RBIs, worth 4.4 WAR in 599 PAs due to his strong offense and defense.

He does have a flaw, he almost never walks, but he's quick, got a great arm, and can hit some absolute monster home runs. On top of that, he even made 18 starts behind the plate in 1960, and including the minor leagues he has 948.1 innings behind the plate. He doesn't block well, but he can frame and of course throw, and his offensive output is going to be way better then anyone else we put there. Granted, he's way better in the outfield and expected to start there, but you'll see in the outfield recap we have a solid group of guys. I tend to prioritize defense behind the plate, but Chappy is the only one who really fits that. It wouldn't be an ideal situation, but he can definitely fill the catcher spot in a pinch, and if the guys we try starting there can't do much, he could get multiple starts a week behind the plate.