Atlanta Braves: Has Tyler Flowers earned a 2018 roster spot?

The average Braves fan looks at Tyler Flowers’ overall numbers in 2017 and immediately declares that we’re in for another year of such production. There’s certainly some reason behind that argument. Breaking the season down into two segments, however, tells a different story about Flowers’ year at the plate.

I’ll be the first to say that I was on the Tyler Flowers hype-train halfway through this season. Everyone thought the Atlanta Braves had found themselves the best catcher in the National League, and there were people upset because Flowers wasn’t being platooned with fellow veteran Kurt Suzuki.

But then the 31-year-old came back down to Earth.

A .286 season average does not tell all. Since June 30th, Tyler Flowers has slashed just .224/.316/.418 (40 G, 155 PA) after starting the season red-hot with a .333/.430/.480 line (54 G, 200 PA).

Flowers was hit in the forearm by a pitch against the Padres on June 28th, and swelling was reportedly the size of a softball. He sat out just one game and did not have an x-ray taken before returning to the lineup on the 30th. As you can see, his level of play since then has been nowhere near what he did in his first 54 games.

Is he worth the risk?

The Atlanta Braves could pick up Tyler Flowers’ option for 2018. At just $4 million, it seems like a bargain given his overall numbers, but which Tyler Flowers will we get next season? It’s reasonable to assume that the level of play we’ve seen in the second half of this season will carry over into next year.

Flowers is a .241 career hitter, and never batted above .241 in his 7 seasons with the White Sox. Everything about his play since coming to Atlanta just screams ‘regression’, and with good reason.

The Braves could very well end up paying Flowers $4 million to eventually become nothing more than a back-up to Kurt Suzuki next season, who was signed to a 1-year, $3.5 million extension just days ago. Atlanta’s hesitation to pick up Flowers’ option amidst his best season as a pro may be a sign that they’re not sure what he’s capable of in 2018.

With Tyler Flowers, not only are you getting uncertainty at the plate, but aside from his pitch-framing ability, he’s not a good catcher defensively. His 22% caught stealing rate sits below the league average of 27%, and is a bit inflated, as he just caught 2 runners in Monday’s game against the Mets. Flowers’ 9 passed balls in just 82 games have proven to be costly as well.

Exploring other options..

The free agent class of catchers following the 2017 season is a bit overpriced for the Atlanta Braves’ liking. Jonathan Lucroy has surged with the Rockies, likely putting him out of Atlanta’s price range, but one free agent name does stand out to me, but only for the right price.

If the Cubs don’t re-sign him, Alex Avila is the best candidate for a platoon role in Atlanta in 2018. The Braves could potentially get him for close to Tyler Flowers’ option price, and he’d complement Kurt Suzuki excellently. As a left-handed batter, Avila naturally favors right-handed pitching, and Suzuki’s splits favor lefties. There’s potential for this duo to be better than the Flowers/Suzuki platoon we’ve seen this season.

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The Atlanta Braves could also choose to ditch the platoon scenario entirely and make Kurt Suzuki their primary catcher, finding a cheap back-up either in free agency or within the farm system.

It shouldn’t be necessary for the Braves to spend money in free agency if they choose to have one primary catcher. They have a couple of guys in David Frietas and Kade Scivicque that could make the most of Spring Training opportunities next season and earn a roster spot. I’ve mentioned Scivicque before, and he’s my first choice if I’m John Coppolella looking for a back-up backstop.

Scivicque batted .270 with 13 doubles in 92 games between AA and AAA this year, and he’s only 24 years-old. There’s certainly room for improvement, given his age, but nothing about his numbers suggest that he wouldn’t be a serviceable MLB back-up, at the very least.

As unpredictable as Coppy & co. have been, there’s no way to tell how the front office will address the catching situation this offseason. We know that Kurt Suzuki was extended, and Tyler Flowers has an option.

Next: The little guy's doing big things!

That’s the beauty of an option. It gives them…well, options! Regardless of the secondary route taken, Kurt Suzuki will provide stability, at the very least.