Yankees Claim Catcher Eli Whiteside Off Waivers From World Champion Giants

The New York Yankees made a roster move today that could have implications regarding their catcher’s role next season.  The team claimed catcher Eli Whiteside off waivers from the World Champion San Francisco Giants.  Whiteside has spent the last four seasons with the Giants.  He spent 2009-2011 as the team’s primary backup catcher before spending much of last season in the minor leagues.  He appeared in just 12 games for the Giants last season.  In his five seasons in the big leagues, Whiteside has hit for a .215 average in 489 at-bats, hitting 10 homeruns and driving in 43 runs.  He is known for his strong defense, as he has a career .989 fielding percentage behind the plate and has thrown out 31% of potential basestealers. Who will start for the Yankees at catcher next season has yet to be determined.  The Yankees did not make a qualifying offer to Russell Martin, who has been the Yankees starting catcher the last two seasons.  In his two seasons in New York, Martin accumulated a .224 average with 39 homeruns and 118 RBI, 107 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.  He was named an American League All-Star in 2011, his third All-Star selection of his career.  He’s posted a strong .992 fielding percentage, however his rate of throwing out base-stealers dropped from 30% in 2011 to 24% last season. The addition of Whiteside gives the Yankees three catchers under contract for next season.  Chris Stewart, who the Yankees traded for on the last day of spring training last season as served as Martin’s backup, hit .241 with a homerun and 13 RBI in 55 games while posting a .990 fielding percentage and throwing out 23% of potential base-stealers.  Francisco Cervelli, who served as the Yankees backup catcher from 2009-2011 before spending most of last year in the minors after the Stewart trade, has hit .271 (490 at-bats) with five homeruns and 71 RBI in his five-year Yankees career.  Behind the plate, he’s posted a .983 fielding percentage while throwing out 20% of potential base-stealers in his five years with New York. The pickup of Whiteside gives Yankees general manager options going forward regarding the catching position.  The Yankees could go into spring training with the three catchers and have an open competition for the starter’s and backup role.  It also wouldn’t be out of this world to carry all three backstops on the big league roster.  Remember during Joe Torre’s tenure as Yankees manager, he had seasons in which the team employed three catchers, like 1998 when Jorge Posada was the starter, Joe Girardi the backup and Jim Leyritz the emergency catcher.  There is still also the chance Martin returns next season.  The free agent market is thin at catcher, with Martin and A.J. Pierzynski the top two choices.  While Pierzynski would represent an upgrade offensively over Martin (he has hit over .270 in each of the past five seasons) and is an above average defender (career .995 fielding percentage), his reputation of being an antagonist is something that wouldn’t fly well in the Yankees clubhouse.