Davidi on Jays: Catching a fresh start

TORONTO – Striking a small yet important item from their to-do list ahead of the winter meetings, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired defensively-gifted and offensively-challenged catcher Jeff Mathis from the Los Angeles Angels for soft-tossing lefty Brad Mills on Saturday.

The trade is the first of some consequence this off-season by general manager Alex Anthopoulos, setting in place the backup to starter J.P. Arencibia mere days after Jose Molina signed with the AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays via free agency.

While Molina certainly brought more to the table with the bat, the Blue Jays should certainly end up further ahead with a compensatory draft pick for the veteran’s defection and a younger, more athletic replacement in Mathis, who is also renowned for his ability to handle pitchers and control baserunners.

“Coming up, (Angels manager Mike) Scioscia always stressed with us that catching and handling that pitching staff was No. 1, that was imprinted in my mind from the first day I played professional baseball,” Mathis, taking a break from a deer hunting trip in south Alabama, said during a conference call. “I take a lot of pride in it and enjoy it.

“I like to tell (the pitchers) things I can see, I also like them to ask me questions, I try to be as honest with them as I can, but you’ve got to get to know them and know how to handle guys, that’s the biggest part of the catcher-pitcher relationship, knowing how to approach different pitchers.”

The Blue Jays have long admired those skills and the cost of acquiring him was far from prohibitive, as Mills is a 26-year-old with below average velocity who was on the 40-man roster’s bubble.

Mathis, 28, is arbitration eligible after earning US$1.7 million last season and can become a free agent after the 2012 season, allowing the Blue Jays to avoid making a multiyear commitment to any of the catchers on the open market.

That’s important since top catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud could be ready for the majors in 2013, and Anthopoulos won’t want to block his path.

Either way, Mathis gets a fresh start after years of being caught in awkward platoon with Mike Napoli, who was sent to the Blue Jays in the Vernon Wells deal in January and was later flipped to Texas for Frank Francisco.

Napoli didn’t hear from the Blue Jays until the second deal was completed, while Mathis said he had already spoken to Anthopoulos, manager John Farrell and members of the training staff.

“It sounds like I’m here to stay,” said Mathis. “I’m excited about it.”

With the Rangers, Napoli blossomed both with the bat and at the plate, while Mathis batted .174 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 93 games in 2011, hearing the laments in Anaheim over his former teammate’s success in Arlington.

In Toronto his role will be defined behind Arencibia, the undisputed starter, and his ability to work with pitchers will come in handy for a mostly young and inexperienced staff. Provided that remains strong, any offence he contributes will be a bonus.

“In know a lot of them from playing against them and there will be some film-watching and a little bit of studying,” Mathis said of how he’ll prepare to catch his new teammates. “But spring training is when we’ll really get to know each other. That’s a big part of what I’ve done the last four or five years over in Anaheim and that’s when I’ll get to know a lot of those guys personally.”

Thanks to his work behind the plate, Mathis had long been a favourite of Scioscia, but became expendable after this week’s acquisition of Chris Iannetta from the Colorado Rockies for young pitcher Tyler Chatwood.

“I figured they would do something with me or with one of us,” said Mathis. “The time’s come.

“I’d been there 11 years and it’s the only organization I’ve been with … and I enjoyed all the time I was there. But I’m really excited about a new start and coming up to Toronto and really getting to know these guys.”

With Mathis now in place as the winter meetings approach Monday, Anthopoulos and his team can zero in on acquiring the starting pitcher, closer, bullpen help and second baseman they still need.

The Angels may be a team the Jays keep an eye on for their second base needs. They’ve been linked with interest in third baseman Aramis Ramirez, and should he sign in Anaheim infielders Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis may become available via trade.

Another team the Blue Jays might be watching is the Chicago White Sox, who are expected to be active and have a second baseman in Gordon Beckham that they have long admired.