San Diego Padres' Christian Bethancourt to Pitch in Winter League
San Diego Padres’ catcher Christian Bethancourt shuffled between catcher and the outfield this season, while also appearing as a pitcher at various points in the season. This winter, he’ll be used as a pitcher in the Panama Winter League.
Next season, the San Diego Padres could have one of the most versatile players in the league on their roster. Christian Bethancourt, who entered the major leagues as a catcher with the Atlanta Braves, saw time in the outfield, behind the plate, at second and on the mound this past season.
This winter, Bethancourt will work as a pitcher in the Panama Winter League – with the hope that he can become a multi-position player in 2017, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
This isn’t the first time a team has considered moving Bethancourt to the mound. During his time with the Braves, the team looked into the move because of Bethancourt’s lauded arm, which grades at an 80 on the traditional 20-80 scouting scale. This season, Bethancourt pitched 1 2/3 innings while allowing three hits, a walk and a strikeout. In those appearances, the 25-year-old’s pitch speed ranged from 54 mph to 96 mph, and he utilized a changeup and knuckleball to complement his fastball.
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If Bethancourt can indeed throw in the upper 90s on a consistent basis while maintaining some sort of command, his transition to the mound could be smooth. Bethancourt’s struggles at the plate since his major league debut have been evident, but his positional utility could make up for his lack of run production.
After a solid showing in 30 games in 2014 where he hit near .250, Bethancourt only hit .200/.225/.290 in 48 games the following season. In 2016, Bethancourt hit .228/.265/.328 in 204 plate appearances, though he struck out in 27.5 percent of his at-bats. He did, however, manage to play well behind the plate and in his limited outfield work.
With Austin Hedges seemingly entrenched behind the plate for the Padres, Bethancourt’s clear path to playing time seems to be as a multi-position player. Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors notes that Bethancourt wouldn’t be the first catcher to convert to a pitcher, as Jason Motte, Chris Hatcher and Troy Percival also made the switch early in their careers.
Playing in the Panama Winter League will ultimately give San Diego a clear indication if Bethancourt is able to pitch effectively – and if he does, the experiment could extend into spring training. It’s unclear how Bethancourt’s playing time would be managed next season, but it would be quite fascinating to see him move from the mound to behind the plate in a single game.
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