Pirates Should Consider Re-Signing Chris Snyder

by Suffering Buc on Dec 25, 2011 2:06 PM EST

Former Pirate Chris Snyder has quietly gone unsigned since free agency started last month. The Pirates rightly declined a $6.75M option on his deal with them. Snyder is worth nowhere near that, and there hasn't been much fuss about them cutting him loose. That said, I'm pretty confident he'd sign for around half that (or less) if the Pirates were one of only a few teams willing to give him a Major League deal (one-year) for 2012.

There are a few arguments against this, which I understand. First, he profiles pretty similarly to Rod Barajas, in that he's a high-strikeout catcher with respectable defense and some power. Second, he isn't likely to be a part of the next winning Pirates team. And third, there are probably better things in the world for this franchise to be doing than spending a combined $7-8 million on mediocre veteran catchers like Barajas and Snyder.

But there are also positives to the idea, and I think they outweigh the negatives. Snyder has a much better plate approach than Barajas and is a pretty good bet to walk more and post an OBP at least 20 points better. This is all while playing pretty comparable defense, which could admittedly be questionable because of his bad back. If Snyder plays 75 games and hits seven or eight home runs and Barajas hits 10 or so the rest of the season, that's solid pop between your two catchers.

Most importantly, Snyder's better than Michael McKenry by virtually any measure. McKenry had a neat little run last summer, but he can't hit and doesn't bring anything all that special defensively. His defense is good, sure, but I'd bet it doesn't add the Pirates even a half win over what Snyder would bring in a similar number of games played. McKenry is a AAAA player, whereas Snyder is a legitimate Major League catcher.

The Pirates have money to spend, and if they're not going to use it to find some way to get Kevin Correia out of their starting rotation, they should look into bringing back Snyder. He would go a long way toward giving the Pirates insurance that they put out a respectable Major League lineup all year and don't rely on McKenry and his inevitable .270 OBP. That's worth a few million dollars.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editor (Charlie) or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.

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Makes sense to me

It would be tough to see Barajas get hurt and have to rely on McKenry to play everyday. Either way I’m behind any move they make.

by pineapplepete on Dec 25, 2011 2:30 PM EST reply actions

I would take Snyder on less than 2M easily

Should the Pirates keep Neal Huntington?

http://www.bucsdugout.com/2011/5/16/2174135/poll-should-huntington-be-retained

by Kosstic518 on Dec 25, 2011 2:36 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I agree...

…assuming that his back isn’t completely shot. I’d guess the Pirates are in the best position to judge that.

Not actually affiliated with whygavs.

by WHYG Zane Smith on Dec 25, 2011 2:39 PM EST reply actions

I Think

Snyder will be lucky to get a minor league deal. Most catchers don’t get too many chances once they have had two back surgeries.

If I had to guess, I’d say he’s done.

by God Loves on Dec 25, 2011 3:42 PM EST reply actions

I’d be fine with Barajas and Snyder in a job-share arrangement. Barajas isn’t going to catch more than 90-odd games, which is what he’s caught the last two years, and he’s a severe risk to miss more time than that. (He’s also had back problems, for one thing.) There’s a very good chance we’re going to have McKenry making outs for half the season, although they could go with Morales, who has some offensive ability. But I’d have to be real sure of Snyder’s back. I wouldn’t want to end up carrying a guy who can take the field, but who’s sub-par the whole year. It’s going to be hard to be that sure.

Occupy MLB! Down with Seligula!

by WTM on Dec 25, 2011 4:19 PM EST reply actions

We have seen the real Snyder

I think there is a reason he is still unsigned. His years of being productive are over. His power is gone, even if he stays on the field, I don’t think it is coming back. Clearly the rest of the league agrees. I’d prefer playing McKenry or even seeing how Eric Fryer comes along rather than paying 2Mil to a guy who is going to hit 1HR and get hurt. That money is better spent else where even if it is simply on a left hander reliever that we plan on trading at the deadline.

by SojourningPirate on Dec 26, 2011 11:07 AM EST up reply actions

Other than being hurt, what evidence suggests that his “years of being productive are over?” The guy is only 30, and his skills were never ones that go away with age. Power, game-calling ability, and defense don’t die off when players get older. In fact, he was off to a pretty productive start last year when he hurt his back finishing out a double.

If he’s healthy, he’ll be an acceptable starter.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Dec 26, 2011 11:21 AM EST up reply actions

Injuries don't always go away

How many years in a row has he had a major injury? And his hot start last year did not include power at all. 30 year old bodies in physically demanding positions like catcher do not age well nor heal well. Let’s not over look the fact that he was traded a few years ago and is now unsigned. Your view appears to be a minority view among GM’s.

by SojourningPirate on Dec 26, 2011 12:46 PM EST up reply actions

health is probably the issue

When he’s on the field, he’s productive. Also, not a lot of teams have big time needs at catcher. He’ll latch on somewhere if the back is healed

by titanlord91 on Dec 26, 2011 1:45 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Well, obviously it’s the minority view. If it wasn’t, he’d be signed. But the minority is right from time to time.

And if this is a debate between Snyder and McKenry, it’s more a 50-50 split, and based on their career track records, even with Snyder’s back, it’s like a 65-35 in Snyder’s favor. “Minority” is a term relative to the question. If it’s Snyder and McKenry, it’s not that outlandish a position to want him back.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Dec 26, 2011 6:01 PM EST up reply actions

Not about McKenry

Good point about minority views. However, I don’t think it is about Snyder and McKenry. I think it is about better use of the couple million it would take to sign Snyder. We have bigger needs than back up catcher like 1B or more importantly starting pitching. Throw his couple of mil at someone else. Snyder is not going to be on the field enough or productive enough to justify taking that money away from another position.

by SojourningPirate on Dec 26, 2011 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

snyder on a minor league deal

Would be perfect. If his back is healthy, he is better than mckenry, who can be optioned to AAA. When he gets hurt, mckenry can up anyways. And if he’s not healthy, no harm done.

by titanlord91 on Dec 25, 2011 4:26 PM EST reply actions

I agree that a minor league deal would be nice (as it would with anybody, I guess), but I’d be willing to commit to a Major League deal with him, too. He’s more or less assured of being better than anyone else we have after Barajas, and if you’re one of the top two catchers in the organization, a big league roster spot is justifiable.

No jinx no jinx no jinx.

by Suffering Buc on Dec 25, 2011 11:27 PM EST up reply actions

I don't know

there are probably better things in the world for this franchise to be doing than spending a combined 7-8M on mediocre veteran catchers like Barajas and Snyder.

I think that pretty much sums up my feelings on re-signing Snyder. I’m not forgetting how miserable it was without a backup backstop plan last year, but I’d rather see young guys who are close or someone who was pretty good getting a second shot. No real suggestions for the second, but even if he’s struggled, I’d rather see Sanchez brought up: from most accounts, he’s defensively ready to play MLB. If it’s going to turn out that last year was a trend and he can’t hit at all, I’d rather be sure of that before moving on to another plan. It’s pretty much the approach I’d like to see (and think the Pirates are going to use) with Petey Alvarez.

by SuperBaes on Dec 25, 2011 4:50 PM EST reply actions

Problem

with Sanchez is bringing him up now could stunt his development.

Depending on the price (which is a cop-out; everything is dependent on the price) I think bringing back Snyder is the right choice, but I wonder if he wants to go somewhere with a chance to win the starting job out of spring training. Not sure if there is any team that would offer that though.

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by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Dec 25, 2011 7:02 PM EST up reply actions

Disagree on Sanchez.

I think too often the “stunting development” argument gets tossed about when discussing young players.

If Sanchez were to go North with the Pirates, I imagine it’s to be the “everyday” catcher, therefore he’d be getting the same work as he would in the minors. Sometimes I think GM’s use every level of the minors, because they can.

I know this goes against conventional wisdom, but I think some players are ruined more by extended minor league time, because when they come to the majors, it’s like starting over again.

I don’t always buy the notion that a player has to dominate each level before moving on. Especially, defensive-minded players. Guys like that can struggle figuring out the bat in the majors, just as well as in the minors, but without playing on the varying degrees of quality of the infields across the minors.

Not saying that’s true in Sanchez’s case or not, but I don’t always buy that putting a guy on a major league roster a bit early means it will ruin a guy’s development.

by impliedi on Dec 25, 2011 8:26 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

As for Snyder....

Wouldn’t mind seeing the Pirates pick him up, but there’s no rush to sign someone like him. If he’s still around come February, then maybe offer him a small deal.

by impliedi on Dec 25, 2011 8:29 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I agree

On Snyder. I think that $3-$4 million is too much, even if it’s just insurance for this year. I suspect that, if he’s still around in February, he’s going to be waiting and seeing if some team loses their starting catcher in ST. If he’s still out there in April, I say that’s the time to reacquire him (at something between $1-$2 million for the season, maybe with a games played or PA’s vesting clause for another year at, say, $3.5 million).

I also tend to agree on player development. I think there’s some wisdom in seeing Rick Ankiel or player-that-came-up-too-soon-and-was-ruined X, but sometimes GM’s are better served just trusting what they see. Pujols had 15 PA’s above high-A, got invited to camp, and hasn’t stopped hitting since. I agree with Cutch in that developing players benefit more from regular playing time as opposed to sitting (my beef with the Rule V draft), but I don’t think guys should be held back if they have some MLB success early on.

by SuperBaes on Dec 25, 2011 11:05 PM EST up reply actions

aramis ramirez

Is a good example why its bad. Also pujols probably isn’t the best example to use, considering he’s one of the best hitters of all time.

by titanlord91 on Dec 26, 2011 1:48 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I'm not sure Ramirez's development was necessarily bad

It seems rash that they jumped him straight from high-A to MLB, but he still had his major breakout season at age 23. The only issue with that is that they started his arb clock early, which wasn’t really as scrutinzed in the late-90’s as it is now. I doubt that Ramirez would have ended up as a better player overall if he’d stayed in the minors, especially after he breezed through AAA (PCL, but still very good numbers) at age 21.

I think the drawback is ending up with a case like Cameron Maybin, where he’s brought up, but doesn’t play. If they’re ticketing Sanchez to play 130 games in 2012 and he hasn’t flamed out horribly by mid-May, I say stick with him.

by SuperBaes on Dec 26, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions

I'd be a lot more open to bringing Sanchez north

if he’d raked at AA last year. A guy like that – relatively old/mature, reasonably competent defensively so that he has value even if he struggles at the plate – I think can skip AAA. But he needs to have had upper level success first (or be a massive talent, which Sanchez clearly isn’t), and that hasn’t happened – especially given that Tony missed half a season with that broken jaw.

Anyway, there are plenty of acceptable/worth looking at options between Barajas and Sanchez. I’m happy to look at 2012 as our last chance to give any non-Sanchez C a significant look, and maybe we’ll find our #2 C for the next 3 years.

by JRoth95 on Dec 25, 2011 11:25 PM EST up reply actions

There are better things in this world to do than the Pirates...

spending a combined $7-8M on mediocre catchers. However, the Pirates chose not to find one of those better things to do than that in 2011. Snyder and Doumit brought home $10.85M combined in 2011 (although the DBacks caught $3M of Snyder, so it’s still $7.85M). So I wouldn’t be absolutely shocked if another FA shows up for a couple or 3 million.

I still expect the Pirates to make another FA signing somewhere to keep TPTB (the powers that be) happy about payroll.

by Thunder on Dec 26, 2011 2:01 AM EST up reply actions

Paulie's still out there.

Just sayin’.

by bucdaddy on Dec 26, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions

Yep

I’d love to know what sort of (informal) offers he’s gotten so far. Surely a GM or three has at least called to ask if he’d be interested in, say, one year at $5M, if not 2/$10 or something.

I think Maholm’s probably smart to wait until he’s the last, best option out there – it seems really unlikely that there will be no more teams who could use a league-average LHP – but I wonder what he’s turned down.

by JRoth95 on Dec 26, 2011 12:53 PM EST up reply actions

I'd like to see him back too.

A WVU loss in the Orange Bowl would make a good start to 2012.

by patthatt on Dec 27, 2011 6:42 PM EST up reply actions

I would definitely agree with bringing Snyder back.

That would be a pretty good upside move if they could get him on a, say, 1 year 2 mil deal with some games played incentives for a possible ceiling of 1 yr 3 mil. Kind of like the Bedard signing but with less WAR upside. Barajas, Fort, Fryer… I’d take a healthy Snyder over any of them.

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by gorillakilla34 on Dec 26, 2011 11:44 AM EST reply actions

I'd be fine with Snyder coming back on a very team-friendly contract.

I can’t see his chronic back condition doing anything more but limiting him to a once-or-twice starting role for another year, best case scenario.

A WVU loss in the Orange Bowl would make a good start to 2012.

by patthatt on Dec 27, 2011 6:41 PM EST reply actions

snyder's coaching career will be starting sooner than later

by white angus on Dec 30, 2011 1:54 PM EST reply actions

Despite the various arguments in favor.....

…..of bringing Snyder back (and there are some good arguments), I just don’t see it happening. Snyder’s fate (at least with the Pirates) was sealed when they signed Barajas.

I gotta feeling that the front office believes that signing Snyder would be a complete waste of money which could better be used elsewhere….. and I support that:

- Coonelly has been quoted as stating that the Pirates’ initial 2012 payroll will increase beyond the payroll the Bucs finished with in 2011.

- Based on published reports, the Pirates finished 2011 with a payroll of about $53 million, and have about $46 million committed to date for 2012.

- So, if we believe Coonelly, the Pirates will take on an additional $7 – $8 million (at least) before the season begins. I’d MUCH rather see them use that money to pick up a helpful bat and/or another decent starting pitcher. I see both of those needs as having significantly higher priority than another catcher.

by magnumo on Dec 31, 2011 10:59 AM EST reply actions