Acquired from the Astros earlier this winter to compete for the back-up catcher job, let’s find out exactly what the Angels got in Carlos Perez.
Carlos Perez
In 10 words or less: No idea who you are. New Hank Conger?
(Note: Unlike other prospects, this scouting report is based off video and homework and was written before the Angels acquired Drew Butera)
Position: C Born: 10/27/90
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6’0″ Weight: 212
Last Year Rank: Unranked (in Astros organization)
2014 Season Stats
[table id=42 /]
OFFENSE
Contact – B. I like Perez’s approach at the plate. Being fully aware he isn’t a threat on the bases or one to hit the ball out of the park with any regularity, he gives himself the best chance possible to reach base, and that’s by making contact with the ball, which he’s quite good at. Not afraid of the inside pitch, can dive over the plate. Level swing generated toward low line drive and ground balls.
Power – D-. He’s not a home run hitter, he’s not even much of a gap-shot hitter. Perez is more drive toward lining singles into the outfield and reaching base.
Discipline – B. Again, this is one of my favorite parts of Perez’s approach. He knows he’s not an offensive force to be reckoned with, so he works on the little things like making contact, working the count, and reaching base via the walk if he can.
Speed – D. Carlos Perez is not fast. He’s not as slow as Albert Pujols is these days but the guy isn’t a threat on the bases.
DEFENSE
Arm – B+. One of the better arms in the minors. The thing I notice with Perez, while his arm is good, it’s not great. What makes him particularly effective is his glove-to-hand transfer and his lightning quick release. This is for sure the fastest in the Angels system and is always accurate. His arm isn’t as good as Jett Bandy‘s, but he probably gets the ball down to 2B just as quick.
Fielding – A. Perez is touted as a strong defensive minded catcher. Coming from the Houston system where they put an emphasis on pitch framing, he’s probably a bit better at it than most in the Angels system. As far as his glove and pitch blocking abilities, he’s probably in the same realm as his new teammate Jett Bandy.
Range – B. It’s really hard to give a catcher this rating, so I’m just going to base this off skill set and reputation. He isn’t as athletic, fast or learn as Jett Bandy, so I imagine jumping out of the crouch for a bunt he wouldn’t be out of this world good like Bandy is, but he’s also said to be a good defender by every source I’ve read. You’d think he’d be above average in this arena.
OVERALL
Performance – C. Perez’s value will never be at the sky-high level it once was when he was a young offensive minded catcher coming up. Much like Hank Conger, this profile shifted to a defensive minded catcher that “isn’t lost” at the plate as he matured. Perez did a lot of little things right in AAA this past season and has continued to improve defensively. Like most prospects, he typically does better after he’s played a full year at a level. If he’s in AAA again with the Angels he should put up the necessary numbers to break onto the roster for the big league team.
Projection – D. There really isn’t much projection left in Perez. He is what he is, and I think the Angels are good with that. He’s a young defensive-minded catcher that can reach base. Perfectly suited to be Chris Iannetta‘s backup and eventually Jett Bandy’s platoon-mate.
Grade as a Prospect – C+. Defense-first catchers in the minor leagues are a dime-a-dozen. What sets Perez apart is that he isn’t completely lost at the plate and is ready to be a full-time major leaguer (in a backup capacity) at age 24.
Estimated Time of Arrival – 2015. It’s yet to be seen whether Perez or Bandy will be Iannetta’s backup for the upcoming season, but either way it’s good for the angels as they both have the skill set you’re looking for. Regardless of who wins, the other will likely spend a fair amount of time with the team anyway as the roster shuffles to keep players fresh. Carlos Perez will catch at least a few games for the Angels in 2015. If he impresses Scioscia along the way, he could end up logging closer to 60 or 70 starts.
2014 in Review*
Perez was acquired in the Hank Conger deal that also netted them Nick Tropeano. Tropeano was seen as more of the main “get” in that deal, but Perez was hardly a throw-in. He’s got a very good defensive reputation and is a more finished product offensively than Jett Bandy. And, let’s be honest, that is who he is going to be compared to.
Perez and Bandy appear to be fairly comparable defensively, but Perez currently has the edge because his bat is in a better place. In the last two seasons, he’s posted a walk percentage over 8% and a strikeout rate under 16%. That’s a nice combination of good discipline and a whole lot of contact. Granted, Perez has very little power, especially compared to Bandy, but Perez is a much safer bet to maintain an OBP over .300 in the majors. Part of that is simply that Perez is just a year ahead of Bandy on the developmental curve, but it is also that his plate discipline is much more proven.
Looking Ahead*
With Drew Butera likely in place to be the backup catcher for the Angels, Perez will start the season in Salt Lake where he’ll likely be doing battle with Jett Bandy to see who gets to be the next catcher up if Iannetta or Bandy gets hurt. It will also be the first opportunity for the Angels to get their hands on Perez and instill in him all the things Scioscia finds so important in a defensive catcher. Perez is starting from a good place, but there are sure to be things the Sosh will want cleaned up. Even if Bandy continues to grow offensively and passes Perez in that area, if Perez can earn Scioscia’s trust as a receiver and game caller, he’ll get to top the minor league catching depth chart.
*As we do every year, the scouting reports and grades are provided by Scotty Allen while Garrett Wilson provides the 2014 in Review and Looking Ahead sections.
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