Well, we should bear in mind that, in the early days of spring training, they'll make a catcher out of anyone who knows how to put his cap on backwards, just because there are so many pitchers around. So we don't necessarily want to read too much into this.

Try this.

You don't really need the link though. It's a very (very!) brief mention from Bob Elliot that "Josh Phelps will be the DH in 2003 and next month will see time behind the plate and at first base".

Craig, if you spent less time working, and more following the dozens of links included here every week, you might have seen this in Bob Elliott's Feb. 12 column, buried in a comment on the Tosca Q & A thread:

Josh Phelps will be the DH in 2003 and next month will see time behind the plate and at first base. In the first two weeks of exhibition play, the regulars usually play every other day, so there is plenty of opportunity.

This is promising news in two of my keeper leagues, but no guarantee of Phelps needing a glove once the season begins. If he's adequate as backup 1B and third C, it creates more roster flexibility. And if Stewart loses in arbitration, the Jays have some budget room to sign a FA. That exciting battle for the 24th and 25th spots rages on.

This is the most important fantasy news since Scott Brosius closed out his A's career by playing a bunch of games at shortstop and then hit .300 as the Yankees' 3B. Or maybe even, in those odd little 1-game-eligibllity leagues, since Kirby Puckett played an inning at 2B.

Momentous. Earth-shattering news. Use it to spook all your fellow draftniks and drive Phelps' price up past its already over-inflated value. (Sorry, but 'til he does it for a full season or three, he's not a $20 guy or a top-40 pick in any kind of fantasy league except maybe AL-only Canadian-based leagues.)

If Pete Rose were managing right now, he'd be in a high-dollar fantasy league and have Griffey play 20 games at short, bat Dunn leadoff because he needs help in the runs category (Did you hear Boone is considering doing that? The Dunn leadoff thing, I mean), and trade Scott Williamson -- uh, in fantasy, not reality -- the day before moving Danny Graves back to closer.

I'm probably forgetting other sundry one-game cameos, but I have no doubt this board will leap to my education.

The year after Batista played short he came in very handy for me in a Sandbox league.

Troy Glaus got at least a game at SS last year.

Before everyone gets too excited, did Phelps not have problem getting the ball back to the pitcher last year?

USA Today's baseball stats pages are a good source for position eligibility. Here is the complete list for the 2002 American League. And, yes, Glaus played two games at short for the Angels last year.

My favourite, from the National League list: last year, Mike Matheny played a game at first base for the St. Louis Cardinals.

While it would be great for fantasy leagues if Phelps does catch, it would seem very foolish for the Jays to play him there. The Jays potentially have four candidates who can catch, five if you count Werth, and far fewer who can provide a powerful bat at DH. I figured that the Jays would have a Jason Giambi/Nick Johnson situation with Delgado and Phelps this year, letting them take turns between DH and 1B with Delgado getting the majority of playing time at 1st. I also have heard questions to Phelp's durabilty behind home plate.

The Jays potentially have four candidates who can catch, five if you count Werth, and far fewer who can provide a powerful bat at DH.

True enough but if Phelps catches, his replacement at DH only has to hit better than Wilson, Myers and Huckaby in order for the move to make sense for the Jays. That shouldn't be hard. Any of Aven, Werth or Colangelo should accomplish that.

I figured that the Jays would have a Jason Giambi/Nick Johnson situation with Delgado and Phelps this year, letting them take turns between DH and 1B with Delgado getting the majority of playing time at 1st.

Except there might be a problem with the analogy. Johnson has a good defensive rep, Giambi does not. Johnson being eased into more and more games at 1B makes immediate sense to the Yankees' on-field success.

As poor as Delgado's rep might be, Phelps has simply not played enough 1B to warrant bumping Delgado out of the position simply on the grounds that it makes the team better defensively. Moving Phelps to 1B, even say 40% of the time, would be akin to declaring that Phelps is being groomed for the purposes of phasing Delgado out, not just from 1B to DH, but out of Toronto altogether.

I'd be surprised to see Phelps start even a game a week at 1B... and that'd only be about 25 games all season. I don't imagine that Delgado intends to go quietly into that DH night.

"True enough but if Phelps catches, his replacement at DH only has to hit better than Wilson, Myers and Huckaby in order for the move to make sense for the Jays. That shouldn't be hard."

But why put one of your best offensive players at such a physically and mentally demanding position, increasing the chances of him getting injured? Piazza should have been moved to 1B or 3B years ago but he is totally opposed to it. There's no need to start a similar precedent with Phelps.

As for Phelps playing 1st base, I thought the idea is that eventually he is going to be the first baseman, when/if Delgado leaves, and even playing 25 games is better than playing none at all. As for Nick Johnson, I thought his defesive rep. took a hit when he came up to the majors? But I'm not an avid Yank fan so I can't confirm this. Anyone?

But why put one of your best offensive players at such a physically and mentally demanding position, increasing the chances of him getting injured?

In my mind, you do it because the current catchers are so terribly inept with their bats. And it's not as if Phelps has a terrible defensive rep. He's said to have strong catch and throw skills...his problem is footwork, which can be worked on.

I don't suggest a 140 game workload a la Piazza. But 20-30 games shouldn't harm him and is 20-30 games where you can put your best lineup out there. It shouldn't matter much this season, while the Jays aren't quite contending. But retaining that flexibility for 2004 and beyond could be key. If Phelps doesn't catch this season, it's likely he never will again in his career.

Phelps behind the plate seems foolish to me. The Piazza example (how everyone but Piazza and the Mets thinks he needs to start playing another position) is a good one. Why put one of your best offensive talents behind the plate unless he happens to be a brilliant defender? I think you're being lead astray by rotisserie dreams. Maybe Delgado would be a viable HOF candidate if he was still catching, but would he have been more valuable to the Jays? (How many of us think he'd be less valuable there?) I think it's telling that the posts after Dudek's Phelps power projections talked about Phelps as a potential Big Mac, not Mike Piazza.

Jason's Johnson/Giambi suggestion makes more sense, although for different reasons than it does for the Yanks. The Yanks are committed (in more than one way) to Giambi for the next 5 years +. Johnson's a better defender, so they try to get him some playing time. For the Jays, however, giving Phelps a chance to field gives the hardworking Delgado some (relative) rest at DH, and also prepares the club for Delgado's possible departure.

"If Phelps doesn't catch this season, it's likely he never will again in his career."

Good. Playing him even 20-30 games at catcher could definetly give him the impression the Jays want him to play that position full-time in the future. It seems to be one of these position where players get attached to it and are reluctant to be taken away from it despite how it adversley affects them. I think its better to designate a role for him now, for the future. Especially when you can put a much more expendable player there in his place.

Also, don't you want to clear the way for Kevin Cash?

"If Phelps doesn't catch this season, it's likely he never will again in his career."

Good. Playing him even 20-30 games at catcher could definetly give him the impression the Jays want him to play that position full-time in the future. It seems to be one of these positions where players get attached to it and are reluctant to be taken away from it despite how it adversley affects them. I think its better to designate a role for him now, for the future. Especially when you can put a much more expendable player there in his place.

Also, don't you want to clear the way for Kevin Cash?

Jurgen: The Piazza example (how everyone but Piazza and the Mets thinks he needs to start playing another position) is a good one. Why put one of your best offensive talents behind the plate unless he happens to be a brilliant defender?

I see a difference. Piazza is now a very poor thrower and to the best of my knowledge, a healthy Phelps looks to be at least average. You put one of your best offensive talents behind the plate because it's much more difficult to find an effective an offensively potent backup catcher than it is to find a backup DH. The injury risk with such a low number of games caught is marginal and worth the payoff.

Jason: Also, don't you want to clear the way for Kevin Cash?

Cash could still get the bulk of the playing time in a situation like that...few catchers are able to still play effectively after more than 140 starts.

Of course, if there is anything I'm ever guilty of, it's wanting flexibility in my team. I like having options...it's better to have a 'built in' third catcher, so to speak, than to burn a roster spot on a Greg Myers or Tom Wilson.

Spicol, who is going to take over for Delgado when he leaves?

Phelps may only play 20-30 games but he'd still have the distraction of preparing to play as a catcher, having to keep constant tabs on the pitching staff. And wouldn't having a guy only playing 20-30 games be a distraction for the pitching staff?

And being behind the plate can be so hard on the knees and freak injuries seem to happen there often enough that I think Tosca would have a lot of explaining to do if Phelps was lost to an injury for the sake of starting only 20-30 games at catcher.

Phelps is very big (6'3", 225) for a catcher and has already had two knee operations:

http://espn.go.com/minorlbb/s/2002/0926/1437276.html

Why on earth would the Blue Jays want to risk further injury to such a promising hitter?

burn a roster spot on a Greg Myers or Tom Wilson

Spicol, you're right about Huckaby being inept with the bat, but Wilson -- against southpaws only -- is anything but. Tom just barely gets by behind the plate, and that's an awful stance, but it works: .337/.412/.506 vs. LH (.220/.298/.330 vs. RH) is a dramatic split. Myers was the king of pinch-hit HR last year, A's fans will recall, and can draw a walk. This is one of J.P.'s better decisions, economically, and not bad from a talent perspective. There are options; he could have burned $10 million on Pudge.

If those two guys each get 150-200 AB, and Cash comes up to replace Wilson in July or August for 100-150 and some late-inning defensive work, that's a very productive platoon, especially considering the price. Phelps and Werth may be candidates to time-share the third C job; Josh fills in until Jayson arrives. They might be too tall to be regulars, but we're talking about dozens, not hundreds, of AB. There were discussions about three C, and if they break with 11 pitchers, maybe Huck hangs on for a while as the 'late-inning lead' glove man, or Doc's personal receiver. I have expressed doubts about Cash's bat, but after initial struggles, he's eventually answered the bell at each pro level so far. There's a reasonable hope that he'll be a great-glove, good-hit, full-time player by 2005. I like them all. Quiroz must be hoping to get traded.

Spicol, who is going to take over for Delgado when he leaves?

Phelps, most likely. But that means for 2 years, he's a mere DH and you're not utilizing your roster as effectively as you could.

Phelps may only play 20-30 games but he'd still have the distraction of preparing to play as a catcher, having to keep constant tabs on the pitching staff. And wouldn't having a guy only playing 20-30 games be a distraction for the pitching staff?

Many backup catchers only play 20-30 games so the whole distraction for the pitching staff isn't valid. Phelps will DH the majority of games most likely, so it doesn't make sense to have him as the sole backup catcher. If the starting catcher ever went down and Phelps has to get in the game, you'd lose the DH. What I'm suggesting is, that rather than have 3 rosters spots for catchers, why not have 2 (Wilson & Myers or Wilson and Huckaby if defense is your thing) and have a 3rd catcher in Phelps, allowing for you to take that roster spot and utilize it to carry a more valuable player, someone who can play in the field, someone who could play centre field.

Phelps is very big (6'3", 225) for a catcher and has already had two knee operations:

Phelps and Wilson are the exact same size. Myers is an inch shorter but 5 pounds heavier than Phelps. Size is not a real issue...the issue is quickness. The knee operations are a good point though. It's all a question of how well he has healed. If he is at significant risk, you have to scrap the whole catching experiment...absolutely.

Spicol, you're right about Huckaby being inept with the bat, but Wilson -- against southpaws only -- is anything but.

Granted, and that's the exact reason why I wouldn't mind if he were kept. The deity of your choice knows that the Jays have struggled against southpaws in recent years. His one-dimensional nature bothers me though. He barely gets by behind the plate and the Jays don't really need a backup 1B in 2003. Catalanotto and Phelps will fill that role. Huckaby is solely there for his work with the glove and Myers has no discernable strength. (On Greg, the ability to take a walk is a great skill but when you're 36 and you've hit 222 and 224, as he did the last two seasons, you'd better be walking or you're not helping the team much. As a preemptive point, Oakland played as a hitter's park last season so his 222 is not a product of playing in such an expansive stadium). Given that none of the three provide a whole range of skills, and given that the Jays will carry at least 11 pitchers, getting rid of one (my choice would be Myers) makes sense to me if it means bringing in a bench player who can hit better than a catcher and provide roster and defensive flexibility. Phelps could act as that 3rd catcher. Or Werth, if he makes the team.

By the way, I realize that the third catcher is such a minor issue but I'm just so damn excited to be talking baseball again. Pitchers and catchers report in less than 24 hours!

I wouldn't mind Phelps catching a handful of games (perhaps against weaker opponents) in order to keep his skills sharp for a rainy day. At the same time, putting him (or Wilson) at first once in a while and giving Delgado a day at DH or on the bench wouldn't hurt either. I think the key to getting maximum production out of Delgado will be keeping him healthy and rested. His late season surge had as much to do with getting a couple of weeks rest on the DL as it did the weaker competition.

As long as it's understood that Phelps' long term contribution will be as a 1B/DH to minimize his injury risk and keep his 40 homer power in the lineup, I don't mind designating him an emergency catcher.

I agree that Phelps doesn't really look like he'd make a good catcher. Most catchers are small, nimble men; Phelps is about the same size as Delgado. If Phelps has already had knee operations, it's pretty clear that his knees can't support his squatting weight.

But we probably shouldn't worry too much about Phelps's long-term future. The Jays have a five-year window in which they control his career; after that, he will sign with the Yankees (or whoever) for sixty zillion dollars. If there's a reasonable chance that he can catch a few games a year and still be a productive hitter during those five years, it might be worth seeing whether he can do it, even if that increases the chance that he might break down after that. Why bother grooming Phelps to become the starting New York first baseman in 2008?

And, let's think about the absolute best-case scenario: imagine if Phelps could catch enough to split his time between C, 1B and DH. He could play every day, spelling Delgado occasionally at first, serving as the second catcher to relieve Cash, and then DHing the rest of the time. Imagine a lineup with Delgado at first, Phelps behind the plate, and another monster bat at DH. Yow!

I'd like to see Hinske get some playing time at short this year, in case Woodward doesn't work out.