Joe Orr Road Rod wrote:
Elmhurst Steve wrote:
A left handed hitting Catcher who hits for average and power.....please!!!
Pitch framing only matters until it doesn't and then it never did.
I think it matters, but I also think that skill can more easily be acquired than finding a great defensive catcher and teaching him to hit exceptionally well might be. His offensive skills mask his deficiencies now. Hopefully, in time he will become a great catcher as well. Again, everyone in the organization says he has an outstanding work ethic, is constantly seeking to learn from Ross in particular, as well as Montero in spring training. He is determined to stay at the position and Madden seems to think he's making great progress very quickly, so I see no reason to believe he can't learn to frame pitches when he's not clobbering the baseball.
The Cubs know he's not a catcher. They're throwing him a bone and letting him try. Maddon likes guys to be able to play multiple positions too. But in a run scoring environment that is almost like the Deadball Era, having a catcher that can't catch is going to be a disaster long term no matter how the guy hits.