Atlanta Braves: Why the rush to add a catcher?

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Sep 30, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (25) touches the beard of relief pitcher Sam Dyson (47) after the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Texas won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

The Value Proposition… for now

However, despite their relatively similar short-term outlooks Flowers can be retained for two more seasons at an average annual value of $3.5 million while the others have either already signed multi-year deals for at least twice that much (in terms of AAV) or, in Wieters’ case, is a virtual lock to do so.

Again, that doesn’t mean that Flowers is the answer at catcher for the next five or so years. Given Atlanta’s interest in every available backstop, it feels safe to say that he isn’t in their long-term plans. The need just doesn’t seem as pressing as some have suggested.

By waiting, weathering another season with the current slate of catchers, and revamping the search next offseason, the club could have better options available.

Lucroy, a known-target, is scheduled to hit free agency. While he will undoubtedly command a large contract, elite catchers rarely become available and GM John Coppolella has suggested that the club has more available money to spend than at anytime in recent memory.

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In addition to Lucroy, next year’s free agent crop includes a number of low-cost bounce back candidates like Miguel Montero and Alex Avila. And who knows, maybe the Marlins decide to rebuild and make J.T. Realmuto available?

Maybe the Red Sox fully commit to Sandy Leon as their catcher of the future and make Blake Swihart a trade chip? Maybe a blocked prospect like Elias Diaz or former Braves farmhand Victor Caratini becomes expendable to their current club?

By the time those possibilities become relevant, Atlanta will be one year closer to legitimate contention, have a better understanding of their team needs, and still have an affordable big league-caliber catcher on the roster in the form of Flowers.

I get why some would like to see the Braves make a move for their backstop of the future. After a long and arduous rebuild, the roster of the future has begun to take shape. There’s a player with tremendous potential (either on the big league roster or waiting in the minors) at every position except catcher. It would be nice to have an entire lineup’s worth of players on which to dream.

Unfortunately, the team’s highly competitive future is more than a year away and committing to the next long-term catcher now could result in being saddled with an option that is less than ideal.

Next: Five Dingers to Dig From '16

The Braves, as they’ve done with other spots on the diamond, will find an answer at catcher. I’m just not convinced that it needs to happen this winter.

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