Jays sign Ramon Castro

[mikero]

Looks like the Jays signed another catcher....

In other Blue Jays news, backup catcher Ramon Castro agreed to a one-year with Toronto, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Jorge Arangure Jr.

A source told ESPN.com that Castro's deal, which is pending a physical, is worth $1 million.

Castro split last season between the Mets and the White Sox.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4742072

[Secueritae]

Geez how many more Catchers we need? We signed buck, seems like we're getting a prospect from the Halladay thread, and now Castro???

[Relentless88]

It's just temporary. D'Arnaud won't be ready for a while, so Castro/Buck will split duties for the year it looks like.

[The Flying Gent]

*Has only vaguely followed the Jays the last couple years*

What about guys like J.P. Arencibia and Brian Jeroloman? Weren't they both considered pretty good prospects at some point? Will D'Arnaud be above both of them?

[LBJSeizedMyID]

Both not ready.

[Modern_epic]

D'Arnaud will be below both of them in the minors, but bove them on the prospect lists. Jeroloman (who was never considered a good prospect, to be fair) is pretty much dead as a prospect; he's never started to hit. Arencibia still looks like he might develop into an average, Barajas type guy. If he learns how to take a walk, even more than that, but he's no sure thing. If he's ever going to make it, he should get a September call up this year. We've also got Carlos Perez way down who had a good rookie year, but is 18, so it's way to early to even know if he will stick at C.

[Schad]

My guess is that Castro will be the backup, and Chavez will go back to AAA; he was penciled in as the 51s' backup until Michael Barrett disappeared from the temporal plane in April last year. It's a little puzzling, in that they already had Kyle Phillips and Arencibia splitting reps in Las Vegas, but they probably wanted a little insurance, given that catchers do injure themselves at a high rate.

Or perhaps they're cornering the market on backup catchers, to ensure that someone signs Barajas and gives us our bloody pick.

[Hoopstarr]

If only they didn't guarantee the starting job to Buck, I would start Castro until he got injured as he usually does. He's just a better hitter and defender than Buck overall.

[LieCheatSteal]

I kinda see what AA is doing. Signing decent, stop gap, role playing guys, showcasing them this season and trading them for mid- to low prospects at the deadline for contenders who might need them and hope one of the prospects performs beyond expectations in a couple of years. Then repeat for a couple of years. Coupled with the high picks the Jays will inevitably get by finishing last in the division, the farm system could be replenished from the JP fiasco and these prospects could start to the major league roster. Around that time, the talent that the Yanks and Bosox have accumulated by FAs will all be in decline and the Rays and O's have wasted their resources trying to catch these two teams so they become depleted. And, in that year, bam, lightning in a bottle, the Jays will surprise everyone by finishing first and advancing to the World Series like the Rays did 2 years ago.

Now, the question is, will it be the Toronto Blue Jays or the Portland Blue Jays of the AL West when that happens? ;(

In all seriousness, I doubt we'll be seeing the key stopgap guys like Buck and Gonzalez finish the year in Toronto (or even holdover vets that could be vital cogs for a contender like MacDonald (if some team needs a defensive stopper at SS), Downs (if someone needs a lefty setup guy who can close) and Overbay (if all of a team's 1st base prospects all die in a fiery plane crash).

So, I have no problems with AA signing guys like a Castro or a Broadway. It's like buying low and selling high. God knows the Jays need prospects. The fact that the Halliday deal brought back probably the top 3 prospects of this organization speaks volumes in how terrible, and damaging, the JP regime was.

[satyr9]

I haven't followed so this is an honest innocent question, but has there been any indication of moving Arencibia? I think last I heard he'd progressed enough as a C that he was expected to stick, but this might be an indication otherwise along with the D'Arnaud pick-up (hardly big evidence I know). That being said it can just as easily be about trying to flip one to a team that has someone go down. Didn't they get something from Oak last year for the exact same thing?

[J-Roc]

Richard Griffin says the Castro thing is not happening.

http://thestar.blogs.com/baseball/2009/ ... oster.html

Just got a call that the Ramon Castro transaction, reported in some places as a sure-fire free-agent, one-year deal, $1 million contract with the Jays is not happening. That moves Raul Chavez back up to the No. 2 role behind John Buck. It looks like the two Jays' catchers would have trouble starting 162 games between them, so look for a further move behind the plate in the new year.

[Modern_epic]

I haven't followed so this is an honest innocent question, but has there been any indication of moving Arencibia? I think last I heard he'd progressed enough as a C that he was expected to stick, but this might be an indication otherwise along with the D'Arnaud pick-up (hardly big evidence I know). That being said it can just as easily be about trying to flip one to a team that has someone go down. Didn't they get something from Oak last year for the exact same thing?

Acquiring a catcher that is two or three years behind him in the system is not a sign that they are going to deal him. It could be a sign that they have less confidence in him than 12 months ago (which they likely do), but really, catchers flame out at such a high rate and he was clearly the next best guy to get out of Philly, so I wouldn't read anything into it at all.

[Schad]

I haven't followed so this is an honest innocent question, but has there been any indication of moving Arencibia? I think last I heard he'd progressed enough as a C that he was expected to stick, but this might be an indication otherwise along with the D'Arnaud pick-up (hardly big evidence I know). That being said it can just as easily be about trying to flip one to a team that has someone go down. Didn't they get something from Oak last year for the exact same thing?

Acquiring a catcher that is two or three years behind him in the system is not a sign that they are going to deal him. It could be a sign that they have less confidence in him than 12 months ago (which they likely do), but really, catchers flame out at such a high rate and he was clearly the next best guy to get out of Philly, so I wouldn't read anything into it at all.

Plus, you really can't have too many catching prospects; a logjam of good catchers is a license to print money in a league where Jason Kendall is considered a starter. Between Arencibia, D'Arnaud, and Perez (plus decent possible prospects in Ochinko/Gomes, should they remain at the position) we probably have the deepest group of catchers save for the Yankees.

[satyr9]

You're both right, and if they hadn't been signing 15 vet catchers at the same time I never would've even brought it up. I didn't even really believe what I was asking, but with a bunch of separate very small things happening I thought I'd ask if there'd been any talk about switching his position and that was what I meant by moving, not trading. Anyway, Castro's not coming, JP's a catcher, end of story. xD

[zilby]

Ramon Castro is not signing with the jays.

it said he signed with CWS instead.