Latinos lead catchers in free agency

The catcher is one of the most decisive positions for the success of a team in the Major Leagues, and until this Saturday, Latinos lead the list of catechers who have applied for MLB free agency.

The free agent market, to which fifteen receivers have applied so far, seven of them Latin American, is led by the Venezuelan Willson Contreraswho in the recently completed campaign acted for the Chicago Cubs.

Contreras, 30, has shown a great ability to guide the pitching, as well as a strong arm to throw the bases (he retired 11 of the 24 runners who went to steal bases), which has been combined with a performance with the wood that led him to finish 2022 as second in home runs (22), third in runs (65) and fourth in hits (101) and RBIs (55) among catchers in the National League.

Willson also has postseason experience, appearing on his World Series record with the Cubs in 2016.

the puerto rican Christian Vazquezat 31, is another of the highest rated Latino masks in MLB free agency.

Vázquez has just won the second World Series of his career, in the victory of the Houston Astros against the Philadelphia Phillies, and although he finished the season as the substitute for his compatriot Martin MaldonadoTraded mid-season by the Boston Red Sox, “El Pinto” as the veteran wide receiver is known, has shown he can play on a daily basis, maintaining good performance on both sides of the game.

With an average of 37 home runs and 98 RBIs in his career, the Dominican’s cover letter Gary Sanchez29, is his ability to hit with power to produce runs.

One factor against Sánchez, who worked this year with the Minnesota Twins, continues to be his difficulty managing pitching, something he continues to work on.

The boricua Roberto Perezwho left the game in May with a sprained leg, is another high-quality option on the market.

The two-time Gold Glove winner has completed his one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and at 33 years old, with his health restored, he remains a good bet for MLB teams.

The Venezuelan Omar Narvaez he lost stardom this season with the Milwaukee Brewers, with 84 games, but he is a receiver who has a career of 20 or more home runs (22 in 2019), so, at 30 years old, the opportunities for a rebound are dormant in the veteran receiving market.

Others on this list are Venezuelans Sandy Leon (Cleveland Guardians and Twins) and Robinson Chirinos (Baltimore Orioles), who played supporting roles on their teams, adding primarily defensive value to their performance.

mike zunino, tucker barnhart, austin hedges, Jason Castro, kevin plawecki, Curt Casali, Andrew Knapp Y austin romine They complete the list of catcher defenders seeking new deals for the 2023 Major League Baseball season.