Leon Elects Free Agency, Lavastida Inside Track To Back Up Hedges

Originally posted on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider
By Todd Paquette | Last updated 3/31/22

Cleveland Guardians have informed Sandy Leon that he will not be making the opening day roster out of spring training as the team's backup catcher. Leon signed to a minor league contract for the 2022 season back in November and was a non-roster invitee big league camp. He is now a free agent after he exercised his opt-out clause of his contract

Leon was in the running to be the team's backup catcher along with free agent acquisition Luke Maile. Maile was the favorite to win the backup catching job behind Austin Hedges. Unfortunately for Maile he injured his left hamstring running the bases last week. Maile will start the year on the injured list and expected to miss at least three to four weeks.

With both Maile and Leon not options anymore that leaves one of the team's top catching prospects 23-year-old Bryan Lavastida with the inside track for the job. Lavastida was added to the teams 40-man roster after the 2021 season. He has only played in seven games at the Triple-A level spending the majority of the 2021 season between High-A Lake County and Double-A Akron.

Lavastida is considered a bat first catcher. Over the three different levels last year in 84 games Lavastida hit for a .289 average with nine home runs and an .836 OPS. Currently his hit tool is more advanced than his defense. Over 200 plus career minor league games he has a .305 career average along with an .844 OPS.

Lavastida uses the whole field making hard contact with his line drive swing. He has a great understanding of the strike zone at the plate. Not a power hitter partly to do with his swing as he doesn't create much loft. Lavastida still has the potential for 15 plus home runs a season.

He has average speed but runs better than most catchers. He has just an average arm throwing out just 22 percent of runners in 2021 but he continues to improve behind the plate. He is still fairly new to the position having transitioned catcher after being drafted in 2018. Lavastida has a chance to be an average receiver as he continues to hone his craft.

If Lavastida is named to the opening day roster as Hedges backup, he should be able to handle the bat at the MLB level. The real focus will be more on how he does defensively and how he works and handles the pitching staff.

For Lavastida it will be a big test even if it's only for a couple weeks until Maile can return from his injury.

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This article first appeared on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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