Phils patching together threadbare receiver corps

Mike Lieberthal is Crash Davis, Sal Fasano is a starter, Chris Coste is a backup, and the Phillies are dangerously thin at catcher.

Before the season, I never thought Sal Fasano, the career back up and Triple-A catcher, would log more innings as the season went deeper. His signing figured to serve as a place-holder in case Carlos Ruiz emerged, or if they acquired another catcher.

Instead, due to two separate injuries to Mike Lieberthal, the 34-year-old veteran is seeing more action than ever. His career high in at bats came in 1998 with Kansas City - 216 of them. This season with the Phils, he already has 97.

Meanwhile, Ruiz, who struggled offensively with the Phils, continues to start every day for Scranton, filling innings at a position that has grown dangerously thin throughout the Phillies organization. During Ruiz’s earlier call-up, the Red Barons were forced to use a catcher whose previous experience was in the Gulf Coast League.

Here in Philadelphia, the position is equally thin. The Phillies placed Lieberthal on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, retroactive to June 6 with a left hip strain, and recalled right-handed pitcher Brian Sanches from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

With Chris Coste already on the roster, manager Charlie Manuel told mlb.com he was comfortable having Coste and Fasano as his catchers until Lieberthal returned. Coste has never been anything more than a part-time and emergency catcher in the minor leagues.

Looking to give Fasano a day off, Manuel handed the receiving duties to Coste yesterday, his first start behind the plate in the Majors. Coste went 0-for-3 and is still seeking his first big-league hit.

Even with a healthy Lieberthal, catcher is the worst position on the team, perhaps the worst position on any team in baseball. Phillies catchers have generated just three homers, all from Fasano. The highest ranking catcher, in terms of Win Shares, is still Lieberthal, who places just 27 in the National League. Fasano ranks 32. When Ruiz left, he was hitting just .143 with 1 RBI.

Fasano, who has just overtaken the team lead for starts, has not looked terrible defensively since some earlier struggles, and hit homers in consecutive nights last week. He also went 4-for-4 for the first time in his career.

Fasano had been assigned to Jon Lieber and Gavin Floyd, but is catching just about everyone now, including some impressive starts by Ryan Madson and Cole Hamels. Of all the pitchers in the rotation, he has handled Brett Myers with less frequency than the others. Fasano caught Myers' disappointing start on Friday.

Considering Lieberthal's rapidly erroding health, Fasano could be as good as it gets until 2007. Even then, the Phillies will be looking to fill two catcher positions possibly vacated by Fasano and Lieberthal, who become free agents.

Comments

[MG]

Fasano had performed "adequately" of late but his offensive and defensive limitations will quickly be exposed if he plays everyday. Fasano is best suited to start 2 or 3 a week against LH-pitching if possible Also, Lieberthal can't be counted on anymore this season due to his health status.

This is clearly a case where Gillick needs to make a trade and get a servicable MLB catcher to platoon with Fasano. I would love to see Gillick get a LH-bat to compliment Fasano. Gillick may have to give up a marginal prospect but the Phils desperately need help at this position.

[Brian]

I certainly don't be one of those "told you so" guys, but I think this goes back to illustrating my point made when Lieberthal initally went down a few weeks ago: A team that portends to be a contender needs a big-league catcher.

Ruiz may be that in a few years, but he's not now. Fasano... well, he's a backup, at best. We should look for someone to be a serious starter, a stopgap perhaps, and get Ruiz exposure now to take over next year.

I point to the 2001 season, I think, when Lieberthal went down and we went with Estrada the rest of the way. Estrada struggled at the bat and with the staff, and the Phillies faded.

[RickSchuBlues]

I can't remember the Phillies gaving a hole this big at any position since Juan Bell started the season at shortstop in '93. Fasano, despite his miraculous 4-for-4, still strikes me as a woefully bad hitter. He seems to strike out literally half the time. What he does on defense, which is nothing special, isn't enough to compensate for his weak bat. I'd just bring Ruiz back up and let him play until he starts to hit. Is Jaramillo doing any better at Reading?

[J. Weitzel]

Jaramillo has been hurt half the season in Double-A.

[Book]

Even if Lieby were healthy, this is a poor position for the Phils. Lieberthal is the best out of himself, Fasano, and Coste, but then again that's not much competition. Bottom line is they get almost no offense from the catcher and the defense doesn't make up for it. Then you have a no-stick 3rd baseman too, and we wonder why the Phils don't score more runs?!

[BrianinNYC]

I cooked up this trade in my head a few weeks ago. I know, I know fictional trades are often useless but hear me out.

The Dodgers have two good catching prospects. Russell Martin is starting now but Dioner Navarro played most of the time before he got hurt. Martin is supposedly the better hitter, Navarro the better defensive player. Both, supposedly, can/will develop into pretty good MLB catchers.

How about Bobby Abreu (he'll waive a no trade clause to go to L.A.) to the Dodgers for one of their catching prospects. They can have Abreu play RF, move JD Drew to CF.

[Bonedaddy]

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?! Bobby Abreu for a catching prospect? When are we gonna give this guy his due in Philly? BA is one of the best offensive producers in baseball. Granted his fielding is subpar, but he has been consistently among the top offensive players in baseball for years and you want to trade him for a mediocre prospect to be stopgap cather? This is ludicrous!

[bd]

I was in Reading on Saturday evening. It's a weak team throughout. Jaramillo is hitting in the low 200s, but he did have a homer on Saturday. I was not aware he had been hurt.

[Deanna]

Last year out here in Seattle, we had seven catchers. Maybe eight, I forget. Jamie Moyer can't even remember who they all were. It's great this year having a dependable guy behind the plate and knowing we have three great catching prospects in the system.

It's a shame the Reds seem to actually be noticing that they have David Ross. For the last few years I've been hoping some team would notice him and give him some serious playing time to prove what he can do behind the plate and with his bat; shame it won't be the Phillies, I guess. He'd probably be a great hitter for CBP, too.

[Davthom73]

It is misleading and inaccurate to say that Chris Coste "has never been anything more than a part-time and emergency catcher in the minor leagues." As Coste showed, with his flawless catching performance of last Saturday, the only start he's been given since coming to the Phillies on May 21, catcher has always been this versatile player's first and primary position throughout his professional career. Ironically, perhaps's Coste's "curse" in his minor league experience has been his flexibility to also play strong first base, third base, and left and right fields, even second base, and as an occasional emergency pitcher in AAA. Before marginalizing Coste, consider the following: 1) Coste led the Phillies in hitting in 2006 Spring Training [.463 BA,.805 Slg Pct.,.500 OBP, & 11 RBI in 25 games with only 41 AB]; 2.) Coste's AAA All-Star season last year at Scranton-Wilkes-barre [.290 BA, 20 HR & 89 RBI, third in the International League]; 3.) Coste's maturity and ability to call a great game, as he did last Saturday, in which Lidle had a no-hitter through 4 innings,and gave the Phillies a quality start in the only game the team won in Washington; 4.) Coste's strong arm, which he showed in gunning down the only baserunner who has attempted to steal against him in the big leagues; 5.) Coste thus far has been given only 8 at bats, in five games, catching in only 2 games, while hitting the ball hard(including two line-drive "ropes" to Washington's Byrd in center field last Saturday, while hitting the ball hard directly at fielders at least two other times); and, perhaps most importantly right now, 6.) Coste, who can catch, play third base, first base, outfield, and even second base in a pinch, gives the Phillies the ability to go with a short position player bench, while carrying a couple of extra pitchers as the team struggles with its starting pitching. For those who think a Carlos Ruiz call-up would be a good idea, consider these things: 1.) Ruiz is only a catcher; 2.) Ruiz bombed in his recent big league audition [.143 BA in 14 games, with zero extra base hits, and only 1 RBI in 35 at bats; and 3.) Ruiz has done little positive back in AAA since being sent down on May 29th [.184 BA, .33 "caught stealing" percentage, giving up 4 stolen bases in one game (Indianapolis on 6/2), and allowing the lumbering Shawn Wooten's first SB of the year yesterday]. Chris Coste's presence on the Phillies roster is no longer merely a "feel good story." Importantly, right now, it is about giving the Phillies the ability to carry one or two badly-needed extra pitchers.

[MG]

Is Davthom73 related to Chris Coste?

[Book]

MG, I think Davthom73 is Chris Coste, I think the 73 might be for his birth year, which would make him 33 years old, and that is the age of the ROOKIE Coste...hmmm?

[Davthom73]

Wrong. My name is David Thompson and my college football number was 73. I have never met Chris Coste. Hmmmmmmmm. Next baseless assumtion,MG and Book?

[Davthom73]

Next time, a spell check . . . "assumption." Have fun.