Who is the catcher for San Diego Padres in 2020 and beyond?

The San Diego Padres have addressed several needs so far in this 2019 offseason. Improving the roster was a stated goal going into 2020, a much needed improvement is in the area of starting catcher.

San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges has long been lauded as one of the best, if not the best, defensive catcher in the MLB.

Lacking a Gold Glove award due to his sub par offense, Hedges consistently rates high in pitch calling, framing, blocking and handling his pitchers.

He possesses an above-average throwing tool with fewer and fewer runners attempting to steal on him.

The obvious downside to Hedges’ game is his offense. Once considered by many to be the top catching prospect in baseball, Hedges has failed to develop a consistent offensive approach and has been unable to sustain any offensive momentum.

As an elite defender, most teams would accept a .230 or so average from their catcher. Hedges has some pop and contributes 10 or more home runs per season but his strikeout rate and inability to make contact to even put the ball in play effectively make his spot in the batting rotation a black hole.

His career .208/.252/.360 slash line in 1,163 AB falls far below the offensive minimum for any player.

He was particularly abysmal in 2019 with a .176/.252/.311 line, which could be partly explained by his job sharing position and inconsistent at-bats.

In an attempt to retain Hedges’ services while increasing the offensive output at the position, the Padres acquired Francisco Mejia from the Cleveland Indians for Brad Hand and Adam Cimber mid-season of 2018.

A catching tandem

Starting Mejia in Triple-A after acquiring him, the Padres promoted the young catcher in September of 2018.

Mejia possesses an elite throwing arm but the rest of his defense leaves much to be desired. Most glaring while watching him catch were his passed ball occurrences.

Also lacking is his pitch framing and relationship with his pitchers. Many Padres fans can recall an occurrence during the 2019 Padres season when closer Kirby Yates was noticeably upset with Mejia while on the mound attempting to close a game.

The offense is a different story. Mejia has plus power and a good, short swing that enables him to shoot the ball around the field.

His 2019 slash line of .265/.316/.438 with 8 home runs and 22 RBI produced a 0.7 WAR in just 226 at-bats. His hit tool was the reason the Indians attempted to convert him to the outfield during his stay with the Indians.

His stated preference for catching may contribute to his inability to perform in the outfield. He looked fairly lost out there for the Indians and in his few starts in left field for the Padres.

At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he doesn’t look the part of an outfielder.

It seems obvious that if Mejia can develop into an average catcher then the problem is solved. The fact that the Padres claim to be content to go forward with this tandem into 2020 says that they believe, on the surface, that Mejia can become the primary catcher with Hedges filling in whenever needed.

What about 2020?

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After watching Mejia catch over the past season it is doubtful if that progress can occur quickly enough to enable the Padres to become the contenders they claim to aspire to be in 2020.

I found myself wanting to throw things at the TV as he allowed so many passed balls that Hedges would have obviously handled easily.

And his stabbing at pitches while receiving led to many strikes being call balls by the umpires, the exact opposite of the effect Hedges has on framing.

It can’t make the pitchers happy when they locate a pitch on the outer part of the plate only to see it called a ball because Mejia carries the ball off the plate with his catching motion.

Catching isn’t easy. It is arguably the most difficult position to play in baseball. But if the Padres claim to want to contend starting in 2020 it is one of the most important positions on the roster, without a doubt.

So are the Padres really content to go into 2020 with the Mejia/Hedges combo?

My suspicion is that the only reason we are still dealing with this issue is that the Padres have been unable to make an upgrade.

Talks of a trade with the Cubs for Willson Contreras have circulated for a while with the bottom line rumored to be too high a price in Padres’ prospects

If the Padres are stuck with Hedges and Mejia for 2020, what can we expect?

Other than the black hole in the lineup when Hedges catches, Mejia’s offense hopefully contributes to some wins. But will his defense cost the Padres some games?

Especially if we see top prospect Mackenzie Gore make his debut in 2020, a strong catching performance is especially needed when the rotation has a tendency toward young, inexperienced pitchers (Lamet, Paddack, Lucchesi).

If the Pads are serious about contending in 2020 they will need a solution to the catching problem.

My argument is that a short-term solution is all that is needed as the Padres have a prospect in the minors who is the top catching prospect in the Padres system. He will be playing Double-A ball in 2020 with a projected arrival to  MLB in 2021.