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Create Your Own Catching Solution

If you read a San Diego Padres 2021 Pre-Season Preview, the familiar name of Austin Nola appears as the primary catcher. If you check out the top free agents available, the more familiar name of JT Realmuto sits near the top of the list. Jt will play for over $20M next year. Nola will play for less than $600K.

In the abbreviated 2020 season, Realmuto put up a 1.2 WAR with an OPS of .840 and an OPS+ of 123. Nola was good for a .825 OPS abd a 1,29 OPS+ while scoring a 1.1 WAR. While their productivity was similar, their backgrounds were very different.

While both players were high school shortstops, Realmuto caught when the regular catcher took to the mound. A scout noticed what he brought behind the plate and the Marlins signed him as a backstop. Nola remained a shortstop in college at LSU, where his glove was sufficiently impressive to move DJ LeMahieu to second base, and he remained an infielder in the Marlins system until he reached age 26 in 2015,

Then it happened. The Marlins minor league coaching staff realized that Nola's lack of range and modest bat wouldn't get him to the majors ... this in spite of lots of positive attributes. That's when they engineered his conversion to catching. The fascinating story is here: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/story/2020-09-18/padres-austin-nola-catcher-miami-marlins-seattle-mariners#:~:text=Added%20to%20Mesa's%20taxi%20squad,a%20catcher%20in%20a%20game%20.

This unique success story is tarnished by the fact that Nola was allowed to walk when he qualified for free agency, and he immediately signed with Seattle. He found enough success as a catcher/utility player that he became a valuable trade chip in a deal with San Diego.

In my eyes, there's a lesson here ... and an opportunity. Why not target prospects for conversion? Why not gather a dozen potential backstops from the ranks of "imperfect" infielders and build your own fleet of catchers from the ground up? In addition to filling your own team's need behind the plate, you can create extremely valuable trade chips.

Every team needs catching. At least one team should make a point of building it.

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