(If you haven't been following along all winter, you will want to go back to the text under the first chart in the A.L. catcher write-up to review the guidelines.)
Top 10 N.L. Catchers 2008
| Rank | Player | $ | Sal | +/- | AP | SW | 2007 |
| 1 | Brian McCann | $25 | $20 | +4 | $18 | $19 | $16 |
| 2 | Russell Martin | $21 | $26 | -4 | $24 | $25 | $28 |
| 3 | Ryan Doumit | $20 | $6 | +14 | $6 | $5 | $7 |
| 4 | Geovany Soto | $20 | $12 | +8 | $7 | $10 | $4 |
| 5 | Bengie Molina | $20 | $12 | +8 | $9 | $11 | $16 |
| 6 | Yadier Molina | $13 | $5 | +8 | $3 | $7 | $7 |
| 7 | Chris Ianetta | $13 | $2 | +11 | $4 | $1 | $1 |
| 8 | Chris Snyder | $9 | $8 | +1 | $5 | $5 | $8 |
| 9 | Jesus Flores | $8 | $1 | +7 | R2 | $2 | |
| 10 | John Baker | $7 | |||||
| Average | $16 | $9 | +6 | $8 | $8 | $9 |
This is certainly a surprising group of hitters, but then so were the A.L. catchers. Spending $9 per player to get $16 worth of earnings is certainly sweeter, though, than spending $8 per player on $13 worth of earnings.
There is a difference in what you're paying for here versus in the A.L. The A.L. only had one $20+ earner (Joe Mauer), while here you have an amazing five catchers cracking that barrier. That's spectacular...for the owners who bought one of these catchers. After Bengie Molina, there's a precipitous drop to Yadier. Seven dollars for the 10th best catcher in the league isn't bad, except even John Baker's mother didn't see him earning $7 in 4x4 N.L.-only Roto last year.
More importantly, N.L. leagues, which have to carry 26 catchers, only saw seven of them crack double digits. A.L. leagues, with their 24 catchers, had nine of theirs earn $10 or more.
This makes me think that - without the benefit of hindsight - it was ugly out there.
Ten Most Expensive N.L. Catchers 2008
| Rank | Player | $ | Sal | +/- | AP | SW | 2007 |
| 1 | Russell Martin | $21 | $26 | -4 | $24 | $25 | $28 |
| 2 | Brian McCann | $25 | $20 | +4 | $18 | $19 | $16 |
| 3 (tie) | Bengie Molina | $20 | $12 | +8 | $9 | $11 | $16 |
| Geovany Soto | $20 | $12 | +8 | $7 | $10 | $4 | |
| 5 | J.R. Towles | -$3 | $9 | -12 | $6 | $6 | $3 |
| 6 (tie) | Carlos Ruiz | $0 | $8 | -8 | $6 | $7 | $9 |
| Chris Snyder | $9 | $8 | +1 | $5 | $5 | $8 | |
| 8 (tie) | Josh Bard | -$2 | $7 | -8 | $5 | $5 | $9 |
| Ronny Paulino | $1 | $7 | -6 | $4 | $6 | $9 | |
| 10 | Ryan Doumit | $20 | $6 | +14 | $6 | $5 | $7 |
| Average | $11 | $12 | -0 | $9 | $10 | $11 |
It was hit-or-miss. Four of the 10 catchers on this list earned $1 or less. The aforementioned five $20+ earners were still amongst the 10 most expensive (though we're already in $6 player territory once we get to Doumit).
I talked about a phenomenon throughout the A.L. ranking threads, but it's worth repeating here. Alex Patton and Sports Weekly simply aren't spending their money. Patton buys his share of Doumit; otherwise, the market takes the other nine players. Sports Weekly gets shut out entirely.
It occured to me after writing the A.L. threads that perhaps I was looking at this backward. Who were Alex's Top 10 catchers by bid limits?
Top Ten AP Projected N.L. Catchers 2008
| Rank | Player | $ | Sal | +/- | AP | SW | 2007 |
| 1 | Russell Martin | $21 | $26 | -4 | $24 | $25 | $28 |
| 2 | Brian McCann | $25 | $20 | +4 | $18 | $19 | $16 |
| 3 | Bengie Molina | $20 | $12 | +8 | $9 | $11 | $16 |
| 4 | Geovany Soto | $20 | $12 | +8 | $7 | $10 | $4 |
| 5 | Paul LoDuca | $1 | $6 | -5 | $7 | $4 | $10 |
| 6 | J.R. Towles | -$3 | $9 | -12 | $6 | $6 | $3 |
| 7 | Carlos Ruiz | $0 | $8 | -8 | $6 | $7 | $9 |
| 8 | Ryan Doumit | $20 | $6 | +14 | $6 | $5 | $7 |
| 9 | Josh Bard | -$2 | $7 | -8 | $5 | $5 | $9 |
| 10 | David Ross | $1 | $2 | -1 | $5 | $4 | $3 |
| Average | $10 | $11 | -1 | $9 | $10 | $11 |
It doesn't make much of a difference; eight of the catchers here are the same as on the market's Top 10. Interestingly, Patton grabs the two catchers (LoDuca and Ross) that are added.
I'll return to this going forward, but Alex might wind up with the same problem he had in the A.L.: too much money left over to go spend in a bar.
Go back and look at the 10 most expensive catchers from last year.
The problem isn't that Alex is blowing his wad on Russell Martin and saying the heck with everyone else. He's recommendending sensible bid limits down the line, on player after player, and getting outspent by the market.
Has the hitting/pitching line in the sand gone away? Are we starting to see larger splits in favor of hitting?
We shall see.
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