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Harris Yudin analyzes the implications of catcher Wilson Ramos signing with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Wilson Ramos agreed to join the Rays on a two-year, $12.5 MM deal — plus incentives — on Dec. 6, according to Joel Sherman. The deal, finalized and announced six days later, is widely considered to be a bargain for the Rays, who have had poor production from the catcher position since the start of their franchise.
#Rays are in agreement with Ramos on 2-yr deal pending physical and that physical is a big deal because of knee
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 7, 2016
Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. It's already loaded up with tons of great rankings articles and draft analysis. Aside from our tiered staff rankings for every position, we also go deep on MLB prospect rankings, impact rookies for 2017, and dynasty/keeper rankings as well. Bookmark the page, and win your drafts.
2017 Fantasy Baseball Outlook - Wilson Ramos
Ramos enjoyed a breakout 2016 campaign, setting or tying career highs in homers (22), runs (58), RBI (80), batting average (.307), on-base percentage (.354) and slugging percentage (.496). However, he will enter the 2017 season at 29 years old and on the disabled list recovering from an ACL tear— which would explain the inexpensive contract.
Ramos tore his ACL. Won't be ready to start season, so 2-yr deal allows him to rehab patiently, play in '17, really rebuild value in '18
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 7, 2016
The Rays are hopeful that he can make his season debut in May, likely spending some time at DH before shifting back behind the plate. If that remains the outlook by draft day, Ramos should be worthy of a late-round draft selection in all mixed leagues. However, if the timetable shifts closer to midseason, he can be left for AL-Only leagues, two-catcher formats, and deep keeper leagues.
Curt Casali, who slashed .186/.273/.336 with eight homers, 23 R and 25 RBI in 2016, is expected to hold onto the starting role until Ramos returns. The 28-year-old backstop split time behind the dish last year with Hank Conger, Luke Maile and Bobby Wilson, but none of the four made a lasting impact. As a result, the value of Casali — or whoever else sees time at catcher for the Rays early in the season — should be limited to deep AL-Only formats. Tampa could bring in a veteran catcher before the season starts, but that would merely be for depth purposes.
Ramos signed on with the Rays just 10 days after the Nationals acquired Derek Norris from the Padres, making it increasingly likely that Norris will be the No. 1 catcher in Washington. The soon-to-be 28-year-old managed just a .186/.255/.328 slash line in 2016 with the Padres, totaling 14 HR, 50 R and 42 RBI and raising his strikeout rate from 23.5% to 30.3%. He may never reach his supposed power potential, but playing in a significantly more dangerous offense is sure to have a positive affect on his run-scoring and run-producing opportunities.
The signing also had an impact on Jose Lobaton, who, despite remaining the Nationals’ backup, is now in better position playing behind a guy who hit .186 last season instead of Ramos, whose .307 batting average (over .300 against both types of pitchers) led all qualifying catchers. Lobaton, a switch-hitter, slashed .262/.344/.393 against righties last season and could be in line for a decent number of at-bats when a right-hander is on the mound in 2017. Of course, all of this would change if the Nats were to agree on a deal with former Orioles backstop Matt Wieters.
Even after trading for Derek Norris, there's still a chance the #Nationals could sign Matt Wieters https://t.co/JyxQGZlUMf pic.twitter.com/6eQZE4kdJj
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 19, 2016
Simply put, Ramos’ 2017 fantasy value will depend on his health, but fantasy owners should be more than willing to spend a draft pick on four and a half months of Ramos, as long as a mid-May return is still within reach come draft day.
