Spring training officially begins for the Nationals next Wednesday when pitchers and catchers report to Viera, Fla. But it is actually the catchers who provide the most intrigue this spring.
The Nationals have plenty of options behind the plate. Veteran Ivan Rodriguez is back for the final year of his contract. He just turned 39 and his Hall of Fame skills have eroded. Rodriguez started 111 games last season and posted a weak .640 OPS. He also threw out just 34 percent of runners trying to steal.
Recommended Stories
But if it’s clear Rodriguez — just 183 hits away from 3,000 for his career — is a part-timer now, that’s not a bad thing considering Washington also has Wilson Ramos, 23. Acquired in the Matt Capps trade last summer, Ramos could be the Nats’ catcher of the future. His offense took a hit in 2010 after his numbers dropped at Triple-A, let alone in 22 big league games. But even an average bat plays well at catcher and Ramos does possess a monster arm.
The wild card is Jesus Flores. Himself once labeled a “catcher of the future,” Flores hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2009 after a foul ball off his right shoulder eventually led to a torn labrum. He missed all of 2010, but made progress playing winter ball in Venezuela. Still just 26, Flores will get a chance to show if his skills remain intact. He was off to a promising start on both sides of the plate in 2009 before that freak injury struck. And behind all three of those catchers is 21-year-old Derek Norris, ranked the fourth-best catching prospect in the minors by ESPN last month.
