If your offense is struggling, you know what they say, “Trade for another catcher.”
You can view our larger trade deadline piece here as we discuss a wider pool of options the Guardians may consider. To make my position clear, I expect the Guardians to make smaller moves, like trading Bo Naylor and getting a castoff/undervalued reliever. But, in the interest of exploring potential larger moves, we are doing a series looking at some of those bigger names. So far, we have discussed Spencer Steer and Luis
Arraez. Today, we look at Sacramento Athletics’ star hitter, Shea Langeliers.
I am about to bury the lede about Langeliers, so let’s talk about his hitting. He has a 111 wRC+ for his career, 123 wRC+ this season with a .359 xwOBA, with a 129 wRC+ for his career vs LHP and 105 wRC+ vs. RHP. He offers a lot of slugging as part of his offensive profile, with his slugging percentage over .500 for the last two seasons. Langeliers has been reported to have turned down a contract extension with the A’s and is only under team control through 2028 while about to turn 29 years old by the end of the season.
Why would the Guardians acquire a catcher, you may ask? Langeliers is not a good defensive catcher by the metrics with -30 Defensive Runs Saved and -32 Fielding Runs Value for his career. He appears to be having his best defensive season, currently, and will almost certainly resist being asked to move positions. If a team wants to acquire Langeliers as a starting catcher, I suspect they will beat any offer Cleveland makes. I think Cleveland would try to move Langeliers into a part-time catcher role, working on teaching him first base and having him DH. One potential selling point for Langeliers might be the way to prolong his career and increase his offensive output may be to play catcher less often and add first base defense to his toolbox. Langeliers isn’t a good pitch framer but this skill is not as important with ABS challenges instituted (and full ABS likely not far behind).
Admittedly, just like with most right-handed hitters, Langeliers’ home run output would be affected by the 19-foot wall at Progressive Field. His career 110 homers would be more like 93 with Cleveland as his home part according to Baseball Savant, but that still amounts to around 27 home runs in a season of full-time at-bats here. There simply aren’t many right-handed hitters out there who wouldn’t see some homers turned into doubles with Cleveland as their home park.
I can’t say I see Cleveland expending more resources on acquiring a catcher with defensive questions, given that they just traded for Patrick Bailey. However, on the outside chance that Langeliers indicates willingness to move positions, I am offering this potential trade for your consideration. To get Langeliers, I believe it would require one of the Guardians’ top prospects in Angel Genao, Ralphy Velazquez, Juneiker Caceres or Braylon Doughty. I am not here to tell you that Cleveland SHOULD part with one of those or to choose which one, but I am willing to say that Langeliers is one of those rare right-handed sluggers for whom I would consider such a move, especially as I do think his hitting will improve if he is not wearing his body down with catching. In my mind, this opportunity is a chance to get in on a “Willson Contreras”-type hitter early, if Langeliers is open to moving positions/playing DH more full-time. I would like the Guardians to consider their DH role less as a way to get players off their feet (give them more days off, instead) and use that lineup spot to find an actual slugger. So few sluggers are available but I do believe Langeliers will be available… for a healthy return of prospects for the young and constantly rebuilding/retooling A’s.
A post-Langeliers trade lineup might look like:
1. Kwan CF
2. Jose 3B
3. DeLauter RF
4. Langeliers DH
5. Manzardo 1B
6. Rocchio SS
7. Martinez LF
8. Hedges C
9. Bazzana 2B
Let me know what you think about this slightly unorthodox trade target for the Guardians in the comments below!
