Bomber Bites With Jumping Joe–The Case For Francisco Cervelli

Francisco Cervelli has had one of the most star crossed Yankee careers in recent memory.  Injuries have been the major downfall in his development and even more frustrating is the fact that they generally seemed to be of the “freak” variety rather than something more run of the mill.  Nonetheless, when you spend as much time on the disabled list as Cervelli has in his seven seasons in pinstripes you have earned the label “injury prone.”

He fractured his wrist in 2008 during spring training on a collision at home plate with then Tampa Bay Ray Elliot Johnson.  In 2010, he suffered a concusion after being hit in the head by a pitch.  In 2011, he broke his foot.  In 2013, he fractured his hand.  This season he suffered a hamstring injury and migraine headaches.  The brittle backstop has shown himself to be a competant and energetic player when he is in the lineup.  The problem is that he cannot complete a season without some injury sidelining him for an extended period of time.

Cervelli has the talent level of a major league player.  He is a good backup catcher and could be a starter on a number of teams.  However, the one position the Yankees have depth at is catcher.  Brian McCann is signed for four more seasons and in the minors John Ryan Murphy, Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez are waiting in the wings.  Murphy got some good exposure in the majors this season when Cervelli was on the DL and continued to improve when he was down at AAA overtaking Romine as the top catcher in Scranton along the way.  Cervelli, for his part, played when when in the lineup hitting .285 with a couple of homers in 137 at bats.

Mandatory Credit: Chad R. MacDonald.

The 28 year old will be eligible for arbitration for the first this off season due to his injuries and the fact he been up and down to AAA over the years.  He won’t be a free agent until after the 2017 season.  He can be a cost effective backup catcher for the next three seasons.  However, his ceiling is pretty firm at this point.  We know exactly what Cervelli brings to the table.

He is a decent defensive catcher with a little pop in his bat.  Murphy is already a better defensive catcher with softer hands and better framing ability.  Murphy’s bat continues to imrpove as well.  He hit six home runs and drve in 28 RBI in only 196 at bats at AAA this season.  In addition, Sanchez is one of the best catching prospects in the league.   In his first full season at AA, Sanchez hit .270 with 13 home runs and 65 RBI.  However, Sanchez is still very rough around the edges defensively.

It is obvious that Murphy and Sanchez represent the future at the postiion for the Yankees.  The question is where would each player be best served playing next season.  Is Murphy better off catching every day at AAA or once a week at the major league level?  Is Sanchez’s defensive game and overall maturity ready for the jump to AAA or does he need another year at AA?  These are tough questions.

Catchers historically have the slowest development rates of any position and rushing a player up the ranks can have devastating results.  I believe that the quickest, easiest, and best way to get better at something is through repition.  So where will will each player get the most reps next season?

That answer is clear.  Sanchez will get the most reps at AA and Murphy at AAA with Cervelli backing up McCann in the Bronx.  Injuries and sudden development can change the formula but it seems like both Murphy and Sanchez would benefit from at least starting next season at their current levels.  By the end of next season both will probably have risen a level but in order to continue their development, the Yankees need another season of Cervelli.  Also, by keeping Cervelli the Yankees retain their depth at catcher that might allow them to make a trade involving oneof the catchers from a postiion of strength.