|
2008 Quintero is more or less what the Astros think Ausmus is, a defense-first catcher with a strong arm and good mechanics behind the plate. Quintero's arm is a true deterrent: thieves were just 9-for-28 against him at Triple-A last year. His bat would be comparable to, or maybe a bit worse than Ausmus's, but the overall package would be better. With Ausmus back, Quintero will return to Triple-A and wait. 2007 Quintero is the quintessential backup catcher. He doesn`t mind carrying his own bag, he`s quiet, doesn`t eat the last of the good salami from the postgame spread, and he showers regularly. What he can`t do is play every day or hit enough to push even Brad Ausmus aside. Guys like Quintero don`t dream of being Ivan Rodriguez someday; they dream of being Henry Blanco. One wonders if that fan club has a newsletter. 2006 Quintero has a tremendous throwing arm and had some moderate success with the bat in the minors, though not enough to knock anyone`s socks off. If he`s going to have a major league career, he needs to either find the right golfing buddy, a la Raul Chavez, or get about 10% better with the bat. He`s already got the defensive skills to fall into the eight-year backup catcher role somewhere if he`s lucky. 2005 In spring training last year Quintero picked off two unsuspecting baserunners and threw out another would-be basestealer with David Wells on the mound. Asked after the game what he thought of his battery mate, Wells played the role of campaign manager: "It's stupid; he's showing me up. He's throwing 110 (mph) down to first and I'm only pitching 88 to home plate. I'm retiring if they don't take him with us." Wells reneged on his vow after Quintero started the year in Triple-A, but at least the young backstop finally hit better in addition to terrorizing baserunners. He profiles as a low-strikeout, low-walk hitter with modest pop, but the Pads are wishcasting for some .290 seasons with doubles power. With Ramon Hernandez's contract up at year's end, they may give Quintero his shot sooner than expected.
|