Washington Nationals Editorial: Where Does Wilson Ramos Rank Among Catchers in the NL East?
By Matt Weyrich
Tyler Flowers – Atlanta Braves
Flowers appeared in 112 games for the Chicago White Sox in 2015, hitting .239/.295/.356 with 79 hits, twelve doubles, nine home runs, 21 runs, 39 RBIs, no stolen bases (one attempt), 21 walks, and 104 strikeouts with an OPS+ of 82 over 361 plate appearances.
After spending the first seven years of his career in the Windy City, Tyler Flowers signed a two-year, $5.3 million deal with a team option for a third season with the Atlanta Braves this offseason. He is widely considered one of the best pitch-framers in baseball, and is a good all-around defensive catcher.
He is expected to share catching duties with fellow former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played 104 games for the Braves in 2015. However, with the veteran catcher preparing for his age-39 season, Flowers is expected to handle a majority of the workload.
Flowers struggled at the plate in 2015, but is well-respected by the Atlanta organization for having a reputation of grooming talented young arms in Chicago. He won’t be trusted to achieve much on the offensive side of the ball, but rather assist in the development of their top prospects into major league stars over the next two years.
With the Braves still rebuilding and not looking to contend for at least two more years, no one is expecting Flowers to develop into the franchise catcher of the future. He will instead be looking to provide a consistent and veteran presence on a team full of promising young stars.
Next: #4 Catcher in the NL East