The Yankees’ options for fifth starter are a solid group that combines a 31-year-old who won 18 games three years ago, a pair of rookies in their mid-20s who filled in capably last September, and perhaps the best pitching prospect in all of baseball, with another of the game’s top prospects available as Plan E. At backup catcher, however, their choices are the old, the infirm, and the incapable. Here are the four candidates for the job:
| Name | DOB | Bats | ML career (AB) | mL career (AB) | 2006 (AB-level) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wil Nieves | 8/25/77 | R | .159/.198/.220 (82) | .288/.339/.398 (3,368) | .259/.298/.346 (321-AAA) |
| Todd Pratt | 2/09/67 | R | .251/.344/.398 (1,612) | .260/.356/.402 (2,693) | .207/.272/.341 (135-MLB) |
| Raul Chavez | 3/18/73 | R | .212/.253/.284 (405) | .258/.309/.338 (4,412) | .255/.290/.337 (196-AA) |
| Ben Davis | 3/10/77 | S | .237/.306/.366 (1,512) | .262/.325/.416 (2,231) | .222/.254/.333 (162-AAA) |
Chavez, easily the worst hitter among this feeble foursome, was to be part of the discussion because of his defense, something Joe Torre has always valued highly from his catchers as evidenced by his conspiring to dump Mike Stanley for Joe Girardi upon arriving in the Bronx. Chavez, however, had his left hand broken by a pitch in winter ball. As he arrives in camp with his hand still in a cast, he’s out of the running for the Opening Day roster.
Ben Davis was once a top catching prospect but, other than breaking up a Curt Schilling no-hitter with a bunt, has never done anything of value with the bat. Mix in a July 2005 Tommy John surgery which he spent last year rehabbing from, and he’s fighting to keep his career afloat, never mind attempting to break camp with the team. He’ll need to impress at triple-A and have the winner of this battle struggle to have any real shot at returning to the majors.
Thus, this battle rather quickly boils down to Wil Nieves, the youngest and least experienced of the group, and 40-year-old veteran Todd Pratt.
