Orioles catcher loses arbitration after failing to drive in any runs in 2016
Like most of us, Baltimore Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph wouldn’t mind a little extra cash. So, when he showed up to his arbitration hearing Thursday, Joseph likely came prepared with facts that proved he deserved to win his case.
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Problem was, Joseph was facing an uphill battle. No matter how many positive stats Joseph could cite, the Orioles held a pretty significant trump card. Despite receiving 141 plate appearances, Joseph failed to drive in a single run all season!
That seems crazy, but it’s true. Joseph set the MLB record for most at-bats and plate appearances without driving in a run in 2016. Overall, the 30-year-old catcher hit just .174/.216/.197, with three extra-base hits during the season. The previous record-holder was Chicago White Sox pitcher Wilber Wood, who failed to drive in a run over 96 at-bats in 1971.
Looking over his stats, Joseph didn’t have a lot going in his favor. His slash line was pretty awful. And while many understand that RBIs depend more on your teammates, it’s not like the Orioles were a terrible offensive club. They ranked 12th last year in runs scored, so Joseph likely had opportunities to drive in runs. He just failed to capitalize on them.
In fairness, it’s not as if he was asking for a huge raise, at least in baseball terms. Joseph filed for $1 million in arbitration. The Orioles countered with $700,000. In most cases, a gap that small would be settled between the two sides before a hearing, but the Orioles have a strict rule of not negotiating with players after each side files different figures. The strategy is known as “file-and-trial.”
If there’s a positive for Joseph, it’s that $700,000 is more than he made last season. In 2016, he received $523,500. With Matt Wieters likely moving on, there’s also a chance Joseph will play his way into a larger role. The Orioles did sign Welington Castillo in the offseason, but he’s less of an obstacle than Wieters.
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In the end, if Joseph wants to get paid, he’s going to have to produce. Based on how poorly things went in 2016, it’s impossible to envision him entering his 2018 arbitration hearing in worse shape.
(BLS H/N: ESPN)
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
