The Cleveland Indians catching combination of Roberto Perez and Kevin Plawecki is not necessarily an offensive juggernaut.
Even before the Cleveland Indians traded Yan Gomes the team did not have a proficient hitting catcher on the roster. Sure Gomes was able to put together the occasional season of good hitting, but he was far from consistent. Now with trading Gomes to Washington and acquiring Kevin Plawecki from the Mets the team is even less of a threat offensively from the catcher position.
Roberto Perez
First is returning Indians backstop Roberto Perez. Perez is a career .205 hitter who is known more for his defensive abilities behind the plate. Perez is excellent at calling games and throwing out baserunners. Any drastic improvement from Perez would come as a bit as a surprise, especially considering he is entering his age 30 season.
Some of the lack of production is somewhat related to lack of oppurtunities. Although even with limited chances Perez did not produce all that much. If Perez was able to improve at the plate he would have been afforded more chances.
Kevein Plawecki
Former New York Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki is not necessarily a force at the plate either. Like Perez, Plawecki only saw time in a limited role. Plawecki is more of a defensive catcher, but his effectiveness in this area did drop in 2018.
Plawecki is a career .218 hitter, while this is better than Perez it is still not great. It is possible that Plawecki turns things around in a better lineup and in a city with less media pressure than New York.
Eric Haase
Prior to the acquisition of Kevin Plawecki, Eric Haase appeared primed to make the Major League roster. The Indians traded Gomes and the team needed a backup catcher. Now with Plawecki in the mix it appears that Haase will spend the bulk of this season in Akron. Of course this is barring an injury or trade of either Plawecki or Roberto Perez.
While Haase only has a handful of appearances with the Indians, he has shown the ability to hit in the minors. It is possible that Haase makes the team as a part-time player. There is even the option to have Haase DH with Carlos Santana occupying first base and Jake Bauers in the outfield. However it is hard to imagine the Indians carrying three catchers on their roster, even if Haase is their DH. For the time being it appears that Cleveland will essentially punt offensive production from the catcher spot. That is unless Perez or Plawecki enjoys some sort of offensive explosion.
