As expected. Kelly didn’t hit much when he came to us but his work behind the plate was pretty good after settling in. Fans constantly make the mistake of focusing on the offense when making a judgement on the worth of a catcher. Kelly is far from the only light hitting catcher with a MLB job. Most teams prioritize defense and the handling of pitchers over offense. Any offense you get is a bonus.
The market is also very thin at decent replacements for him, which is why the Tigers signed him with this option in the first place. Plus the options within, Sands and Dingler, did not show MLB readiness this past season.
This article was originally published by Mlbtraderumors.com. Read the original article here.