» Burke

With a few Spring games under their belts, the crowd of catchers in Mariners camp must be wondering how much management will miss starting receiver Kenji Johjima by the time he finishes playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Johjima’s three-year contract, awarded last April to keep him from entering the free-agent market, is a barrier to several promising young catchers.

Spring number for catchers through Feb. 27 (Padres exhibition game not counted):

G  AB  R   H   2B  3B  HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP   SLG     AVG
J Clement     SEA    DH    2    5    1    0    0    0    0      0    0      1    0    0    0     .167    .000    .000
R Johnson    SEA    C       2    4    1    2     0    0    0      0    2      0    0    0    0    .500    .500    .500
A Moore        SEA    C       2    4    0    1     0    0    0      1    1       0    2    0    0    .250    .250    .250
J Burke          SEA    C       1    2    0    0    0    0    0      0    0      0    0    0    0    .000    .000    .000

Of course, Jeff Clement joined the team last summer, with disappointing results. He is expected to improve in his second season, and to split time between catching and designated hitter. The 25-year-old hit well in Tacoma before coming up to the major leagues in 2008. He was expected to be the catcher of the future, but several knee surgeries suggest he may be better suited to DH, a role  that will probably be dominated by Ken Griffey Jr.  Once Jr. has retired the job looks to be Clement’s.

It’s Rob Johnson, another 25-year-old receiver, who has shown the most promise in camp this spring.  This kid hit .305 at Tacoma in 2008, though his bat faltered in 32 plate appearances with the M’s  last fall.  Johnson hit a solo home run in the exhibition game against San Diego on Wednesday  and is three-for-four  with one run scored in his plate appearances during official spring games.

Then there’s Adam Moore, yet another 25-year-old catching prospect who brings real power to the plate. Having never played above AA,  more is rated by Baseball America as the Mariners’  sixth-best prospect, ahead of Johnson. He’s an excellent defensive catcher and calls a good game, something that Johjima  has been widely criticized as lacking. But he appears, at least when listening on the radio, to be little overmatched facing major-league pitchers. He has struck out and walk into plate appearances this spring.

Jamie Burke, the ancient mariner among these catchers, is a 37-year-old who’s already proven his worth to the major league club by making a combined 229 plate appearances over the past two years as a backup catcher. Burke stands a chance of being the third backstop for the team again this year, because both Moore  and Johnson need to continue to get regular opportunities to bat, which would only come in the minors.

That leaves the question of Johjima,  whom the team’s Japanese owner reportedly demanded be re-signed last year. Baseball Prospectus says of him, “he’ll either be a welcome veteran presence in the event of a Clement malfunction or one of the league’s best (and most expensive) backup catchers.” Johjima’s  performance at the plate has declined each year he’s played in the United States, and he’s hit only 39 home runs in three seasons. Having batted only .227 last year, it’s hard to justify retaining him is starting catcher.

While there are a number of other catchers  in camp to handle the overwhelming number of pitchers on hand, Johjima, Clement, and Burke appear to be shoe-ins to make the team.

New manager Don Wakamatsu worked with Johjima  on his game calling during a visit to Seattle earlier in the winter. Hopefully the presence of a veteran catcher in the person of Wakamatsu will improve Johjima’s  relationship with the pitching staff. If not, and ownership does not relent and allow the Mariners to trade away Johjima,  it may be at least another year before Johnson or Moore get to the majors.

The team, frankly, cannot afford to wait for the power.  To my eyes, it looks like Johnson is ready for his shot. That probably means Burke, not Johjima, will be bumped from the roster.

In other Mariners news: With two wins and a tie in Spring games, Don Wakamatsu has shown a keen ability  to generate runs, whether leading in a blowout or coming back to win a close game as he did today against the San Francisco Giants. This has got to give Mariners fans hope after the team’s bottom dwelling 4.14 runs per game score in 2008.

Also noted, Ken Griffey Jr. has already taken centerfield prospect Greg Halman out to dinner. Halman, in an interview during today’s KIRO broadcast gushed about the experience. As I noted the other day, Jr.’s presence, even before he begins to swing the bat, is going to boost this team.