This offseason, the one area of the free-agent market that intrigued me aside from where the best player on the planet would land was the backstop. I’ve already written about how slim the pickings are at the catching position, so I won’t go into too much detail, but basically, it looked rife for some terrible contracts. Prior to the month of October, there was a decent number of guys who had a solid resume. Then the Tigers exercised their $13 million option on Pudge Rodriguez. Then you know what happened?

Actual sanity.

I’ll give you all a moment to soak that in.

We good? Let’s go on.

It’s not exactly “edgy” to criticize GMs and owners on their excessive spending habits. It’s simply something to which we’ve grown accustomed. But so far this offseason, I have to give them credit overall. At least when it comes to dealing with the catching market, they’ve collectively drawn a line.

Jason LaRue signed for one-year at $850K with the Cardinals. The Mets retained Ramon Castro for 2 years at $4.6 million, then for one reason or other the reported deal they had with Yorvit Torrealba never happened. Instead of dipping into the market, the Mets dealt the unwelcome Guillermo Mota to Milwaukee for Johnny Estrada, who has one more year before he becomes a free agent. In response, the Brew Crew (and this is one that really surprised me) signed Jason Kendall for a $4.25 million one-year contract. While we can argue as to whether or not any of these transactions will help their respective teams, I think we can collectively agree that these are actually rational.

The only deal that gives me pause (and it’s a pretty big pause, but still) was naturally the Yankees giving Jorge Posada a 4-year $52.4 million deal. But given the season he just had, and the fact that it’s the Yankees we’re talking about, it can at least be explained.

With one-year commitments for Pudge, Estrada, Kendall and LaRue, teams have given themselves some serious future flexibility. We all know how difficult it is to find a catcher who can actually stay healthy and productive for more than five years. It simply doesn’t happen all that often given the nature of the position. So when such an option isn’t available, I find it reassuring that that even in today’s market people aren’t pushing the panic button. GMs who lack a franchise backstop have seemingly resigned themselves to the fact that they’re not going to get much from their catchers. This is a good thing, I think. So I feel compelled to tip my cap. This way, I won’t feel as bad the next time I rip them.

It’s times like these that I wish there was a statute of limitations on the term “All-Star”.

In what may perhaps be the biggest head-scratcher of the 2007 season, the Chicago Cubs acquired offensively-anemic catcher Jason Kendall from Oakland for fellow catcher Rob Bowen and a minor league pitcher. 

Simply put, Kendall’s days as an asset are gone. Out of the 248 hitters who have been regular starters for their respective teams in 2007 (at least 200 plate appearances), Kendall’s .281 slugging percentage ranks 246^th. His .261 OBP is 245^th.  Only Tampa Bay’s Dioner Navarro has a lower OPS among regulars than Kendall’s .542.

The rationale for Oakland making the deal is fairly clear. Although Kendall’s former team, the Pirates, are footing roughly 40% of his $13 million salary this year as per the agreement between the A’s and Bucs when Kendall was traded to Oakland in November 2004, he was still far from earning his keep. Even if the “cash considerations” that is accompanying Jason to Chicago ends up being a significant percentage - or even all - of the remainder of his 2007 salary, it affords the A’s the opportunity to play someone else, most likely, Kurt Suzuki.

But what’s in it for Chicago? While I know very little about Rob Bowen and have never even heard of the minor leaguer (Jerry Blevens) who was included in the deal, is Jason Kendall any kind of upgrade for a team with playoff hopes? Having traded away Michael Barrett to San Diego last month and with Henry Blanco on the DL, the Cubs had been playing Koyie Hill along with Geovany Soto and the now-departed Rob Bowen behind the plate.

Based upon what I have heard previously, Soto in particular had been regarded as the Cubs’ catcher of the future. Prior to getting called up earlier in the week, the 24-year old Soto had been posting some eye-catching numbers in AAA Iowa to the tune of a .341 AVG, .412 OBP and a .584 SLG to go with 12 HRs and 55 RBIs in 69 games. This isn’t better than Jason Kendall?

Yes, Kendall is “proven” and a “former All-Star”. But he’s “proven” to be an aging catcher who can no longer hit and he’s 7 years removed from his last All-Star game. Even among his catcher peers, his numbers are abysmal.

But we hang onto this notion that what was good before can be good again. In today’s Chicago Tribune, Phil Rogers pens his support for the acquisition not based on things like, you know, actual on-field accomplishments, but rather, because a scout likes Kendall. He writes:

“But I say the Cubs will be a better team Tuesday night, with Kendall in uniform, than they were Monday night… That’s because I trust the opinion of their scouts”

As if he hadn’t yet done damage to our belief in his ability to follow logic, “the scout” to whom Rogers is referring is Gary Hughes, a man whose credentials that Rogers lists in the article includes the ability to observe that John Elway - yes, that John Elway - had a good arm. I’m serious. Read the article yourself.

Recalling the conversation that he had had with Hughes regarding Kendall, Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Rogers:

“When I called Gary [last week] and mentioned Kendall, it was, ‘My God, go get him! He’s what every club needs.’ “

Sure. Every club needs a catcher who posts sub-average numbers across the board.

My god indeed.