The Phillies need a catcher on their bench in 2021. But will it be Andrew Knapp, or someone else?
Who will be the Phillies’ back-up catcher in 2021?
This is the much less interesting way of asking the question Phillies fans have been wondering all offseason: will the Phillies re-sign J.T. Realmuto?
If the Phillies do sign Realmuto, the back-up catcher will be Andrew Knapp. Case closed. However, if J.T. signs elsewhere, things will get complicated. Therefore, to properly analyze the Phillies bench catcher situation, we need to consider both scenarios.
Scenario 1: The Phillies re-sign Realmuto
In this scenario, the catcher on the bench is Andrew Knapp. Knapp is a perfectly solid back-up catcher. He’s neither a great defender nor a strong hitter, but he’s serviceable in all respects. He’s very well-liked by his coaches and teammates, and he’s shown the potential to go on a strong offensive tear every now and then. The Phillies should be happy with Knapp in the back-up catcher role.
However, while Knapp is an adequate hitter for a back-up catcher, he’s not much of a threat as a pinch-hitter. He’s excellent at drawing walks (13.2% career BB%), but overall he’s a pitiful offensive player (.687 career OPS). With no designated hitter in the National League, the Phillies will need a few good pinch-hitting options on their bench. If Knapp is the back-up catcher, there is more pressure on the front office to fill out the rest of the bench with some talented bats. Keep this in mind as we consider the bench options for the infield and outfield.
Scenario 2: Realmuto leaves the building
The whole picture is a lot murkier if the Phillies fail to re-sign J.T. Realmuto. James McCann is off the board, Yadier Molina is unlikely to sign anywhere other than St. Louis, and everyone else on the market comes with significant age, injury, or performance concerns. The Phillies might not be able to find a true starting catcher who represents a clear upgrade over Andrew Knapp.
That being the case, the Phillies should not settle for anyone who is notably worse than Andrew Knapp. Knapp is dependable, but he’s ultimately a replacement-level player, and anyone worse than him probably shouldn’t be on a competitive major league roster. With that in mind, the best option for the Phillies is to sign someone to platoon with Andrew Knapp.
There are a handful of catchers available who come with much more upside than Andrew Knapp, but who are too risky to be counted on as full-time starters. One intriguing possibility is former Phillie Wilson Ramos. Kurt Suzuki and Robinson Chirinos are two other veteran catchers who fit the bill. None of these guys can handle a full season at catcher anymore, but they can all still hit. Crucially, they all hit quite well against left-handed pitching, while Knapp hits better against right-handed pitching. All three of them are great starting options against LHPs and decent pinch-hitting options off the bench.
The Phillies’ other choice in this scenario is to just trust Andrew Knapp as the starter and sign a veteran back-up like Alex Avila or Austin Romine. This only really makes sense if Dombrowski’s plan is to punt the catcher position and spend all of his resources to improve the team in other areas. It’s not the most inspiring possibility to consider, but it could certainly happen.
Check back soon for the next instalment, in which I consider the Phillies options for back-up infielders!
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire
