Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns is constantly working to make his rebuilding club younger with players with upside and he found a way to do that with his catching corps Tuesday.
Stearns traded veteran backup catcher Martin Maldonado and minor league pitcher Drew Gagnon to the Los Angeles Angels for Jett Bandy, who shared catching duties with Carlos Perez as a rookie in 2016. At 26, Bandy is four years younger than Maldonado and controllable through 2021. Maldonado has two years until free agency.
"We think we're adding a catcher with an extended period of control who presents a well-rounded skill set," Stearns said. "He complements nicely the group of catchers we have at the major-league level and upper levels of the minor leagues.
"He comes with an above-average defensive profile across the board. He has been a very successful catcher in controlling the running game throughout his career. That stems from both a strong arm and exceptionally accurate arm. He handles pitching staffs well.
"On the other side of the ball, he has a great deal of raw power that we think can translate into increased home run (numbers) as he continues to mature in the major leagues. He has growth left on the offensive side of his game."
In 70 games with the Angels last season, Bandy batted .234 with a .281 on-base percentage and .673 OPS, with eight home runs, 25 runs batted in, 11 walks and 38 strikeouts. A 31st-round draft pick out of Arizona in 2011, he threw out 40 percent (19 of 48) runners attempting steals.
Bandy also played in 24 games at Class AAA Salt Lake City, batting .274 with a .314 OBP, two homers and 21 RBIs.
Maldonado, who signed with the Brewers as a free agent in early 2007, played five seasons for them, mostly as a backup to Jonathan Lucroy. When Lucroy was traded last Aug. 1 to Texas, the defensive-minded Maldonado did the bulk of the catching with Manny Pina, and later Andrew Susac, backing him up.
In 76 games, Maldonado batted .202 with a .332 OBP, .683 OPS, eight home runs and 21 RBIs. Overall, he played in 355 games for the Brewers, compiling a .217 batting average, .299 OBP, 28 homers and 111 RBIs. Maldonado was in his second year of arbitration and projected to make $1.6 million in 2017.
Stearns said he and manager Craig Counsell would go into spring training with an "open mind" about how playing time will shake out with Bandy, Pina and Susac. Only two are likely to be kept out of camp.
"We have three catchers that we believe are major league caliber," Stearns said. "That's a good place to be. How playing time actually breaks down, it wouldn't surprise me over the course of the season if that changes a little bit."
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Bandy said he was still "trying to digest" news of the trade but said he would come to spring camp ready to show what he can do.
"I heard it was a good opportunity," said Bandy, whose unusual first name is a hybrid of his father, John, and grandfather Chester, known as Chett. "I'm going to come in, play hard and do the best I can. My goal every year is to get better. I'm a big guy and I'm still learning my swing.
"I hate striking out (38 in 231 plate appearances). It's kind of a pride thing for me. I like making contact, putting the ball in play and seeing what happens."
Gagnon, 26, was a third-round draft pick in 2011 who converted from starting to bullpen duty last season. He pitched in 36 games and went 3-1 with a 4.48 ERA.
The Brewers also signed veteran reliever Ryan Webb to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp. Webb, 30, has made 375 appearances for five clubs, most recently Tampa Bay, posting a 17-18 record and 3.43 ERA.
