Russell Martin – Dioner Navarro – Josh Thole.
There are seemingly only two spots earmarked for catchers on the Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day roster. Simple math would conclude that one of the aforementioned backstops may not make the trip north.
This catching conundrum is one that has plagued the club throughout the entire offseason and even Spring Training. The situation was further complicated by the trade rumours involving Dioner Navarro. And then things got even more convoluted by R.A. Dickey’s personal catcher, Josh Thole.
So will the Blue Jays defy convention and start the season with three backstops on the roster, or will they opt for only two?
It sounds like the coaching staff and management have gone back and forth on the decision over the past several weeks. John Gibbons is reportedly in favour of going with three catchers because having Josh Thole catch R.A. Dickey would give Russell Martin every fifth day off.
However, Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair reported yesterday that Alex Anthopoulos is “dead set against Thole going north with the team”. That’s certainly an understandable stance to take. The Blue Jays need as many bench spots as possible, and bringing Thole along simply to catch R.A. Dickey invariably wastes a roster spot.
Having a personal catcher for a knuckleballer isn’t all that uncommon, but the side effect of bringing Thole along for the ride is it prevents the Blue Jays from having another infielder or outfielder on the bench. And considering how badly the club has been afflicted by injuries this Spring Training, they really sure have as many reinforcements as possible.
If John Gibbons opts to go with an eight man bullpen, factoring in the starting rotation and position players, that would leave only four bench spots. Add in a third catcher, and that number suddenly evaporates to two; which offers very little flexibility in the way of pinch hitters or late-game defensive substitutions.
If Russell Martin can handle the knuckleball with any sort of confidence (simply better than J.P. Arencibia did), then it serves the team well to keep his bat in the lineup as much as possible. Any sort of defensive plus the Blue Jays might gain from having Thole handle Dickey would be immediately lost on offense. Over the past two seasons, Josh Thole has hit a paltry .213/.289/.261.
Then there’s the question of what to do about Dioner Navarro. Trade rumours have surrounded him nearly the entire Spring Training schedule, but until a trade materializes, Navarro will factor in the Blue Jays plans this season. Hit bat is another one that plays well into Toronto’s lineup, but the difficulty lies in finding a way to squeeze Dioner Navarro’s name onto the lineup card as well.
It may not be the ideal solution for R.A. Dickey, but so long as Dioner Navarro is still a Blue Jay, then Josh Thole should remain in the minor leagues at Triple A Buffalo. Outside of that, there really isn’t a scenario where carrying three catchers would be advantageous to the team.
With so many question marks at so many starting positions (left field, second base, first base, DH), a third catcher is simply a luxury the Blue Jays cannot afford right now.
