The Final Piece of the Puzzle?

[dxmachina]

Turns out DePo went out an done got hisself another catcher last night. From Dodger Thoughts:

the Dodgers have committed a roster slot to journeyman catcher Paul Bako with a $650,000 contract, plus another $100,000 in possible performance bonuses.

Without going into any detail, Bako cannot hit. Like Brent Mayne did, Bako does his non-hitting from the left side.

ESPN.com's scouting report does go into detail:

Bako is an inside-out hitter who rarely pulls the ball or hits it in the air. He gets most of his base hits by punching balls through the infield, especially to the right side when the first baseman is holding a runner. [In other words, he needs the defense to be out of position to contribute offensively... (DX)] Lefthanders have overmatched him in the limited chances he's had against them. Bako will take an occasional walk, but he strikes out a bit much for a contact-oriented hitter with little extra-base power. He occasionally was used as a pinch-hitter last year, though he didn't perform well, going 1-for-10. He has struggled with men in scoring position during his major league career, batting .181 in those situations.

While Bako is a solid all-around receiver with sound fundamentals, he doesn't excel in any one facet of the game. His arm is reasonably strong and accurate, he blocks balls capably, and his pitch-calling never has been questioned. He has little speed, though, and is a non-factor on the basepaths. He has stolen just three bases in 398 games in the big leagues.

Last season he batted .203 in 49 games with the Cubs. Also, his full name is actually Gabor Paul II Bako.

Damnit, I want a real catcher...

Comments

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

Do you think that he's done acquiring catchers? As you say, the guys you currently have are more like #2 and #3 guys than starters.

The guy I think he could get that I'd be okay with if he could get him (and I don't see why he couldn't) is Brian Schneider of the Nats. He's a great defensive catcher, and he hit well enough last year, with a decent number of walks. And he's only making $350K. When he's able to ask for big money in a couple of years, Navarro should be ready. It seems to me he'd be DePo's wet dream.

I'd certainly have kept Cora, especially since you've essentially replaced him with Valentin, who just isn't as good, and isn't all that much cheaper.

[hereward.livejournal.com]

I like Schneider too. He starts at C for me in the DMB league I'm in.
He's no beast offensively, but he can hit, for sure. Good call.