Catcher Grumblings

There are several catchers on the market and it appears a lot of them will be switching homes. Here is the breakdown on these catchers:

C Jorge Posada, Yankees
Posada's negotiations have turned south, and the Yankees are hoping a new contract will change his mind. Most people still believe he will return to the Yankees, but the recent fallout of several players makes me think he will test the market. The Mets are pursuing Yorvit Torrealba, but are keeping Posada at their side. If Posada hits the market, expect the Mets to make a "very aggressive" offer.

C Yorvit Torrealba, Rockies
Torrealba put up solid numbers in the postseason raising his value a little more. He is drawing serious interest from the Marlins and Mets, but the Rockies still hope to hold on to him. Torrealba probably plans to test the waters, and if he does, the Rockies might look elsewhere. According to MLB Rumors Correspondent Brady Yu, they have talked with the representatives of Michael Barrett, and consider him the favorite to land the job if Torrealba walks.

C Michael Barrett, Padres
Barrett will probably get a two to three year deal with annually salary of about 5-6 million. The Padres do not plan to bring him back and all teams are looking at him as an option. The Rockies are most serious about him, I think it is because they know his past numbers and what he could do at Coors Field. The Marlins have expressed interest, along with the Orioles, but only if they trade Ramon Hernandez.

C Jason Kendall, Cubs
The Cubs were very pleased with Geovanny Soto and have said that Kendall is free to test the waters. Although Kendall would love to return, he would love a starting job. The Padres, who have long enamored Kendall, would love to bring him in. Not only would he help some of the Padres pitchers, but he could work with Colt Morton.

C Paul Lo Duca, Mets
If Jorge Posada leaves, the Yankees might go in and sign Paul Lo Duca. But for now, it is up in the air. The Mets, Marlins, and Rockies all look at him as a fall back option, with a dark horse as the Pirates, if they trade Ronny Paulino. The Mets were displeased with the negative attention Lo Duca carried around with him, which is why many think negotiations have stopped. A possibility is the Blue Jays, who would like an upgrade over Greg Zaun.

C Ramon Castro, Mets
Castro put up great numbers as a backup and will probably seek a starting job somewhere. I think a good option is the Nationals, who have yet to find a good catcher and are stuck with Schneider. It is possible he could be the Mets starting catcher in '08, but I think they are looking to make a splash, and will see how the market turns out.