I Can't Agree With Things Like This....

I just can't. I prefer to have him behind the plate, too. But Evan would really surprise everyone, if actually given the chance.

Atlanta Braves, either let Evan Gattis catch or trade him

In 2012, the Atlanta Braves decided to giveTyler Pastornicky….

defensive reign over the most important defensive position on the diamond, and prayed to all things holy that the years prior where he looked, at best, a well-below average defensive shortstop was just, I don’t know, years of flukes piled onto one another.  Well, it wasn’t.

In 44 games started at shortstop, Tyler Pastornicky was on an historic pace, and not aOzzie Smith parallel, but more along the lines of Terry Forster playing shortstop type historical pace.  If there was a Mendoza line for defense, Tyler Pastornicky barreled through it and baseball SABRists were having to create new figurative language for his defense, lack thereof.  Not only was Tyler failing the eye test of all the devoted Braves’ fans, but advanced metrics were eating him alive like stuffing on Thanksgiving.

Through those 44 games I mentioned, Tyler produced a -16 Defense Runs Saved and a -48.4 UZR/150.  Name some bad defensive shortstops in the past and I’ll tell ya straight up that none held a candle to this butchering.  For comparison’s sake, the worst defensive season the last decade according to DRS was Matt Kemp at a whopping -37 DRS.  If Tyler would’ve continued on the same trajectory, he would’ve been pushing -60.  There’s a similar story in Evan Gattis, but not what most might think.

In defense of Atlanta Braves Evan Gattis’ defense…or not

Let me get this out there, and I’ve discussed it before, Evan Gattis is not a good defensive catcher.  At best, he is average/slightly below, with a good (not great) arm, slightly above average framing skills, and below average blocking ability. On this trajectory, Evan will cost his team 10-15 runs/year behind the dish. With his age, this is likely as good as it’s going to get unless Evan drops 15-20 pounds and puts energy and focus into mobility in the offseason. Even then, it likely won’t improve that much.  But we all know that’s not where Evan’s value comes from. His below average defense from the catching position is offset by strong offensive numbers from a defensive-minded position.  That offense greatly outweighs Evan’s slighlty below average catching ability and makes Evan a very valuable player.

Then there’s Evan in the outfield.  Aye… Yes, there’s always a chance that it could get better, but remember the Pastornicky thing?   In 2013, Gattis collected -10 defensive runs saved in roughly 1/4 of a season in left field.  Even if Evan improves slightly, he’ll still be a well-below average left fielder which negates almost all of his offensive value that he can provide.  Check the numbers:  Fangraphs WAR for Evan in 2013  was 0.9, and in 2014 it was 2.3, a 1.4WAR difference. If the numbers above run true, Evan in the outfield will almost completely negate any positive value spawning from his offense.

Moving Evan Gattis to left field should not be an option.

What do the Atlanta Braves do?

My distaste for catching prospect Christian Bethancourt has been well-documented, and it would be a dream of mine for the Braves to just let Evan be, have him work hard this offseason on his skills behind the plate, and plan on playing Evan behind the dish 130 games this upcoming season.  That likely won’t happen as it seems the Braves really do think Bethancourt will be the main catcher for 2015.  If that’s the case, the Braves should trade Evan Gattis.  The free agent market for RH power hitters is weak and the Braves hold 2 of the more prominent RH power hitters in Evan Gattis and Justin Upton. Trading both of these guys could really put some serious prospects back into the organization and provide replacement outfielders for this year.

In conclusion, Evan Gattis provides serious value as a catcher, or as a designated hitter. If the Braves don’t catch him, they should trade him.