Olivo in, Torrealba out at catcher
The Colorado Rockies tried to find a common ground in negotiations to bring back Yorvit Torrealba. Torrealba, however, was reluctant to make concessions, and the Rockies decided to move on.
The Rockies finalized a one-year agreement with Miguel Olivo on Monday. It is worth $3 million including a buyout on a club option for 2011.
“Miguel adds experience, depth and leadership to an important position on our club,” Rockies General Manager Dan O’Dowd said in a release issued by the club. “We are excited to add another player of character to our team.”
Olivo, 31, hit .249 (97-for-390) with 23 home runs and 65 RBI in 114 games for the Kansas City Royals in 2009. Among major league players who played primarily at catcher, only Joe Mauer hit more homers than Olivo. Olivo set career highs in home runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage, including an American League-best .692 slugging pct. during the month of June.
The Royals’ primary starter at catcher in 2009, Olivo played 103 games at the position including 97 starts. He threw out 18 of 74 attempted base stealers (24.3 percent), the 3rd-best mark among qualifying American League catchers.
Olivo was the starting catcher for 31 of the 33 games started by 2009 American League Cy Young award winner Zack Greinke (16-8, 2.16 ERA).
Olivo has had at least 16 home runs in three of the last four seasons, hitting a total of 67 during that stretch. He has thrown out 30.2 percent of potential base stealers during his career.
In addition to the Royals. Olivo has played for the White Sox, Seattle, San Diego and Florida.
A native of Villa Vasquez, Dominican Republic, Olivo represented his county in the World Baseball Classic prior to the 2009 season. He was the catcher for Ubaldo Jimenez in the Dominican team’s elimination game against Netherlands when Jimenez set a tournament record by striking out 10 batters in four innings.
Torrealba could wind up returning to San Francisco, his original big-league team. The Giants are looking for a veteran catcher because they do not feel that highly-regarded prospect Buster Posey is ready to step into a full-time big-league job handling the challenging Giants rotation.
Excellent move.
Olivo and Torrealba are roughly equals. Olivo hits more HRs; Torrealba makes better contact. Olivo throws better; Torrealba is considered a better handler of pitchers.
It all comes down to Torrealba’s unreasonable demand for a multi-year deal. He’s solidly in that backup catcher who always finds a job somewhere category, and with Olivos and Torrealbas available all over the place every November, there’s just no reason for any club to take on the risk of a 2-year deal.
Prediction: Torrealba gets 1 year, $2 million bucks, “mutual option” as a face saver. Must have a dumb agent.
On another front: Tracy, you’ve no doubt noticed that the numbers being kicked around regarding the Holliday-Cards negotiations come down to about $18 million/year. Or, exactly what the Rox offered him over 4 years after the 2008 season.
Sorry to see Yorvi go but have to agree he’s probably not making a very good decision.
You would think that, especially in this environment, watching what’s happening with Atkins and Holliday that a “bird in hand” would resonate more with these guys
Very nice F/A signing DanO! Less money, more flexibility, more power, some stolen bases, and a better arm throwing out runners. I would have taken Olivo over Tori even up, but this is a much better deal for the Rockies.
Plus Olivo’s offensive numbers will likely see a bit of a bump hitting in Coors Field instead of KC. Depending on playing time but I’ld say about 15 hrs, 60 rbis, and a .270 average – and we’ll take that and pay the option for 2011 too.
Now if Olivo will occasionally take the walk when it’s offered by the pitcher – then the on base percentage will go way up too!
Tatis, Beimel, and some fringe starting pitchers with minor league contracts and your winter shopping is done DanO.
Go Rockies – Rocktober 2010!
The Giants prospect’s name is actually Buster Posey.
I will miss Yorvit. He called a good game and was basically our de facto team leader the last couple of years. But I understand this move. Yorvit wanted to parley the good four weeks that he had last year into two years and 6 mil, and at the end of the day that was just too much green.
It’s 2010 ladies and gentlemen. I for one am excited about our starting pitching more than anything.
Jiminez
Francis
Cook
DLR
Hammel
We could have a very solid starting 5.
I hope Tulo can get going early and stay strong this year. I have a feeling he will. This could be a pretty exciting year offensively for Ian Stewart too.
Come on April!!!!!
Good luck to Yorvit.
I don’t blame him too much for going for 2, seeing that Kendall, Schneider and Ivan Rodriguez got 2 yrs. The Rockies’ offer was pretty good, I thought, but perhaps he figured with Iannetta’s extension, he’d be slated as a backup.
Do the Rockies have any interest in Mike Lowell, assuming he will be reasonably healthy for the start of the season (big assumption, I guess)? Seems like Boston is willing to pick up almost all his salary, and he’s a RH who could be the backup 3b/1b, and is the high character type of guy that the Rockies tend to like.
Although I like the signing of Olivo better than Yorvit, I don’t think a two year 6 million deal Yorvit is asking for is unreasonable at all. Why would the Royals and Nationals sign washed up catchers with half the skills than Yorvit for that same price!! If I was a Royals fan I would be pissed. Jason Kendall for 2 years 6 mill, give me a break!!
Now Olivo can catch back-to-back cy young winners!!!!!!!! Come on, Ubaldo. This is your year.
There has got to be a reason this kid was not signed back to KC, the Nationals, San Fran, Mets, Blue Jays, and so on. There has also got to be a reason why he signed for half of what Jason Kendall, Pudge Rodriguez, and what Yorvit wants. Maybe it is the high amount of strike outs, low on base percentage, or his weak defence. Or maybe it has to do with him being suspended 5 times by the MLB. I don’t think people should be fooled by his relatively high home run numbers,I have a feeling this guy is a bum.
RFKA Mike,
I never even thought of Lowell as a possibility here! I love the guy and he could really fill that RH power hitter/3b/1b fill-in spot (assuming his health is sound and the Rox pulling off a steal of some sort from the Sox, though). The idea gets me excited.
Terence,
I’m with you on Ubaldo! Time for him to be a STAR.
Have fun with him, Rockies fans! He’s a good guy, but he can be incredibly frustrating. Be aware that he is widely regarded as the worst free swinger in baseball – he will swing at ANYTHING:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/plate-discipline-its-that-thing-you-dont-have/
And other than being decent at throwing runners out, he’s horrible defensively, especially at blocking balls. Don’t believe what the Rockies company line is telling you about him; he’s getting worse, not better.
Negative N: the big reason Olivo’s not highly regarded: lifetime OBP of .278.
I have a feeling Olivo will do great here. I like him better than Yorvit, but it’s going to be hard to forget Torre’s firey attitude. It was awesome. Good luck to him.
I think the reason we haven’t gone after Lowell is because of two reasons: a) his thumb is hurt and b) we don’t like to do deals with the Sox. Simple truth.
Perhaps there is another leader on this team that will step up in the place of Torrealba’s fiery demeanor. Maybe its a new player or one waiting to break out. Might be Iannetta or it could be coming from a different position too. I like the way this team is shaping up for the next year.
While I see Lowell as a good replacement potentially for 3rd and 1st as a backup, the Red Sox would have to eat too much of that contract and I would worry about the psyche affect on Stewart. I think the cathers will do fine, its Stewart whom I am hoping is primed for a breakout. I have no idea on his mental makeup, I would just say that the psychological affect of bringing in someone may not help him right now after saying the job is his and then perhaps the front office changing their mind. They have every right, but perhaps a move in June or July for a backup is better as the season progesses.
I’m sure the team will survive without Torrealba’s leadership. He was gone in June when the team took off.
I watched him in Kansas City. Yeah he has a strong arm when he actually throws towards the runner. However, 90% of the time he either does not recieve the ball or he drops the ball as he goes to throw the ball. He reminds me of Henry Blanco who once played for the Rocks. “Runner goes, Olivo goes to throw and the ball slips out of his hands.” He will be a good back up catcher though.
I’m also with reader f/k/a/Mike on Mike Lowell being a great addition if we traded for him. And he’d probably not cost us very much if we acquired him. When the BoSox tried to trade Lowell to Texas, which was recinded, all they asked for was a minor league catcher and were willing to pick up 9 million of his 12 million salary.
Lowell is a great clubhouse guy who plays defense well and hits lefties well (which we need). And he could spell stewart at 3rd, if needed. So if the opportunity presents itself, and as long as he’s healthy and the Sox pick up most of the money, I’d say pull the trigger on a Lowell deal.
Frankly, I don’t know why the Sox have been trying to trade him every year for the last couple of years–he’s good–but it’s their loss and whoever gets him will gain.
I don’t know, Mike Lowell sounds a lot like Matt Williams to me. Why bring in an old and injured 3B again?