2016 AL East Rankings by Position: Catcher
By Nate Wardle
5. Tampa Bay Rays – Rene Rivera, Curt Casali, Hank Conger, Luke Maile
The Rays list Rivera as the starter on their website, and while I’m not buying it, I won’t argue. Rivera and Casali are opposites, and Conger as well. Rivera is most certainly a defensive catcher, as he hit .178 in 2015 and is a career .211 hitter.
Casali is an offensive catcher, hitting 10 home runs in only 38 games, but having a caught stealing percentage well below the league average. Conger has also been known as a guy who struggles defensively.
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So, while the Rays want a catcher who can work well with their young pitching, this is a team that is starving for offense. In a league stacked with talented catching, it is not hard to see why they bring up the rear, and the chance of them moving out of the last place is not good.
Now, let me know what you think, and be sure to check back frequently for the other position rankings in the AL East.