At the beginning of the 2013 season we all knew that the Atlanta Braves would be looking a lot different come the 2014 season at the catcher position. Now that we know that Brian McCann is no longer playing in Atlanta we have a better sense of the Braves from behind the plate. If the season started today the starting catcher for the Braves would be Evan Gattis with backup catcher Gerald Laird taking the days in between.
El Oso Blanco (Gattis) had a good rookie season and became a huge fan favorite. He hit 21 home runs in his rookie campaign while driving in 65 men in 105 games played. His batting average was only .243 but you have to assume things are going to only get better for him as he matures along with his game. As far as rookies are concerned you have to put him at the top of the list as far as power is concerned. As time goes on Gattis should look to get better, smarter and stronger.
Laird on the other hand is not irrelevant for say but he is no Gattis. Laird will be the guy coming in and playing on Sunday afternoon so Gattis can rest after those Saturday night games. The other catcher that the Braves could see make the team in 2014 is double-A prospect Christian Betancourt.
The 6'2", 22-year-old has been turning heads over the past two years and has received an invitation to the Braves spring training. Betancourt is known for his great defensive but still has a lot to work on offensively. Of all the prospects in the Braves system he is currently ranked third. In his 2013 campaign Betancourt batted .277 with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs in 90 games of work. His OBP was .305 and his slugging percentage was .436. At only 22 years-old the sky's the limit for this kid.
If the Braves did not have enough going on at their catching position before all of the McCann hooplah than they really do now. Rumors have been swirling that Orioles catcher Matt Wieters could be on his way to Atlanta. Wieters will become arbitration eligible in 2014 and become a free agent in 2016. The Orioles could look to trade him to the Braves this year to “save face”. The only thing about this trade is that Wieters has proved that he is one of the best all around catchers in the league and the Orioles might not want to give him up.
Wieters himself might like to be traded to Atlanta as he went to college at Georgia Tech and grew up a Braves fan. On the other side of things the Orioles might ask for a whole lot to trade Wieters. Some rumors have even said they would need a Jason Heyward or Justin Upton, which the Braves likely would not settle for.