Back in March, when the Red Sox surprised everyone with a contract extension for Christian Vazquez, it seemed like the right call.
The terms -- a total of $13.3 million over three seasons, starting in 2019, with an option that could be worth as much as $8 million in 2022 -- were reasonable enough. Vazquez doesn't turn 27 until last this month, so the Sox were arguably buying his three (or four) prime seasons, from 27-31.
Plus, in addition to Vazquez's legendary arm strength, he enjoyed a breakout offensive season in the second half of last year, posting a slash line of .314/.359/.453. Finally, after a number of seasons in which he struggled to hit at the big league level and missed more than a year following Tommy John surgery, Vazquez seemed poised to establish himself as one of the game's best overall catchers.
Now, just five months later, it's worth asking: did the Red Sox commit to the wrong catcher on their roster?
This season, Sandy Leon has clearly outplayed Vazquez -- currently on the DL with a broken finger -- at the plate and behind it.
Offensively, Leon has dipped of late. On July 1, he was hitting .260, but true to a career-long pattern, he's endured a period of inconsistency. Since then, he's hit just .155, dropping his average down to its current level of .215 entering the weekend.
But when the Red Sox lost in their series finale in Toronto on Thursday, it marked just the second game the Red Sox had lost with Leon as the starting catcher in the last 27 games, dating back to June 21.
Surely, Leon has benefitted from being the de facto personal catcher of ace Chris Sale, who fashioned a microscopic 0.23 ERA in six starts during that stretch. But Sale's six starts represent less than a quarter of the games Leon started in that span, so while the ace lefty is a contributing factor to Leon's run, he's hardly the only reason.
Indeed, Leon's excellence behind the plate is hardly restricted to this season. Leon's catcher's ERA of 3.11 this season is the lowest of any receiver in either league among catchers with 50 more starts. And since the start of 2017, his 3.28 catcher's ERA is the lowest of anyone at the position with 100 or more starts.
Leon's instincts were on display Tuesday night at Rogers Centre when he sprang from his crouching position, scooped up a dribbler down the line and immediately tagged an on-rushing baserunner to help get the Sox out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam
Alex Cora was moved the next day to label it "the play of the year. That was amazing. Honestly, I know Jackie (Bradley Jr.) will get the play of the year for us, but for me, that's the play of the year right there. I mean, for him to go after it, have the presence of mind and tag him? Jason (Varitek, catching instructor) was talking about it and he never did it. For him to react that way was impressive.''
Then again, Leon's reaction didn't exactly shock Cora.
"His baseball IQ is way up there,'' said the manager. "The good thing about him is he's willing to keep learning. Behind the plate, I've been very impressed -- not only with the way he calls the game, but the way he blocks the ball. He blocks the ball and it seems the ball is right in his hand. Throwing, obviously, he's been really good. But there's something about him that he's able to slow down the game. The bigger the moment, he's able to slow it down and call certain pitches and do certain things behind the plate.''
Cora recalled that, in the aftermath of Vazquez's contract extension, he spoke with Leon and offered him reassurance.
"I just told him that he needed to be patient,'' Cora said, "and he was. He's always ready. He's the first one showing up, working out. In that situation, probably other guys would put their head down and be like, 'Forget it. Let me go about my business and when they want me to catch, I'll catch.' But he didn't do that. He works and he wants to get better.''
Vazquez, meanwhile, has had a disappointing season even before breaking his right pinky finger. In a rare bit of criticism earlier in the season, Cora alluded to Vazquez needing to improve his preparation. His slash line (.213/.249/.300) is evidence of a step backward at the plate. Even his throwing has seemingly regressed.
It seems obvious that when Vazquez returns -- almost certainly not before Sept. 1, since bringing him back earlier will create a roster crunch with Blake Swihart, who is out of options and must remain on the major league roster or be exposed to waivers -- he will do so as the No. 2 catcher for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.
Where does all of this take the Red Sox this offseason?
The smart scenario would be to stay with Leon -- who remains under control for two more seasons -- with Swihart as the backup, starter-in-waiting, and deal Vazquez this winter. The roster issues won't go away next year: Swihart will still be out of options and the Sox will be forced to keep him.
But Swihart, finally healthy other than the hamstring strain which has sidelined him briefly, has shown himself capable of being the No. 2 and still has upside. And Leon has clearly become the preferred catcher for the pitching staff, for his game-calling and receiving skills.
Vazquez will have value. Catching remains a position almost permanently in demand in the big leagues, and even his offensive struggles won't stop a team from showing interest in a catcher in the prime of his career. His contract, quite a modest investment in the big scheme of things, will represent cost-certainty for a number of teams who will jump at the chance of getting an experienced catcher locked in for the next three seasons at an average annual value of less than $4.5 million.
It would be a reversal from the path the Sox chose only a few months ago. But situations change quickly in the game, and the smart thing would be for the Red Sox to change with them and move on from Vazquez.
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