Cincinnati Reds: It’s time for Curt Casali to get some more starts

Curt Casali has been a nice pickup for the Cincinnati Reds this season. Is it time for Casali to get more starts behind the plate?

As far as in-season pickups go, Curt Casali has been the best for the Cincinnati Reds. Yes, Matt Harvey helped solidify a weak starting rotation, but Casali seems to get a hit almost every game. It’s time for the Reds to consider a more balanced rotation behind the plate.

In a night where almost no one got a hit, Curt Casali smacked a double off Marlins’ starter Wei-Yen Chen in the second inning. The double was Casali’s 10th on the season in just 32 starts. The Reds would strand Casali at second base and eventually fall to Miami 0-1.

The start as the battery mate of Luis Castillo was Casali’s time behind the plate since Monday’s game against Wade Miley and Milwaukee Brewers. Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman has an affinity for starting Casali against left-handed pitchers.

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It’s not a bad strategy either. After all, Casali hits .375 against left-handers and .265 against right-handers. No one can criticize Riggleman for playing the percentages. However, Tucker Barnhart‘s numbers aren’t any better. In fact, Barnhart’s numbers against righties are even worse than Casali’s this season.

Barnhart is hitting .243 overall. His average against lefties is .270 and against righties, he’s only hitting .235. Tucker’s ability as a switch-hitter is phenomenal, but if the numbers don’t pan out in your favor then it doesn’t really give you an advantage, right?

Now look, this isn’t going to turn into an article bashing Tucker Barnhart. He’s a great catcher, especially defensively, and maybe this year is just a blip on the radar. He was much better at the plate last season overall and was solid against right-handers. He hit .279 with a .353 on-base percentage from the left side last year.

Casali, however, has earned more playing time. He’s started 7 games in the month of September and has gone 8-for-27 (.296) with 3 doubles. He’s also caught some nice games behind the plate. Opponents have averaged only 3 runs per game over Casali’s last 7 starts. While obviously, the pitchers have to execute, don’t take for granted the game that Casali is calling behind the plate.

Riggleman is a very old-school manager who likes to play the percentages, advance runners with a bunt and exploit matchups. So long as he’s continuing to manage the Reds, expect Barnhart to get the lion’s share of starts at catcher. However, Casali is deserving of more playing time and could see an increase next season if he continues to produce.