The Value of Jason LaRue

Why is Jason LaRue so valuable as he
returns for a third season in St. Louis?

One of the first matters of business in the St. Louis Cardinals offseason was to ensure that Jason LaRue would be the team's backup catcher for the third consecutive season. The contract is a one year deal for $950,000, the same salary LaRue earned in 2009. Yadier Molina has started 250 out of a possible 324 games in the past two seasons with LaRue as his backup. Molina's durability poses a unique challenge for his backup who must be able to spell the starter ably without the benefit of regular playing time.

The signing added a fourth catcher to a 40-man roster that already included starter Yadier Molina and prospects Matt Pagnozzi and Bryan Anderson. Both Pagnozzi and Anderson would have made less than half of LaRue's 2010 salary in the same role, but neither is considered ready for the major leagues to begin the 2010 season. Bryan Anderson has been a top prospect in the system since he was drafted almost, but he was injured in 2009 and his defense and power have yet to develop. Matt Pagnozzi is considered a major league ready catcher defensively, but he continues to struggle at the plate. Their respective limitations necessitate more time to develop in the minor leagues for both Anderson and Pagnozzi.

In his limited playing time, LaRue has posted just a .632 OPS in a Cardinal uniform. While a backup catcher is not expected to be a great offensive weapon, LaRue's run production in his time in St. Louis has been sporadic at best. LaRue's defensive ability is still intact, though, and he has allowed just 23 stolen bases in the past two seasons while gunning down 36% of those that attempt to run on him. The Cardinals prefer a defense-first for player for this role, so LaRue's production was enough to make him a strong candidate for a third season in St. Louis.

Other free agent catchers like Jason Kendall, Brian Schneider, and Ivan Rodriguez have all received two year contracts already this offseason. The Cardinals were most likely only interested in a one year commitment since Anderson and Pagnozzi already played in AAA last season. LaRue fits a unique niche as a veteran that is still able to start the occasional game behind the plate but recognizes that his skills have declined enough to accept this role rather than seeking a starting opportunity like those listed above. While LaRue will make more than the league minimum, a salary under $1 million for a veteran player is very affordable.

According to Fangraphs, Jason LaRue has been a 0.5 WAR and 0.3 WAR player in 2008 and 2009 respectively. It is actually somewhat impressive that he was able to acheive those values considering his limited playing time. If LaRue can provide a similar value to the organization in 2010 then his $0.95 million contract will be a good investment for the Cardinals for the second year in a row. Jason LaRue offers enough production and potential at a very low pricetag. This is where LaRue's true value lies, the amount of money that the team can confidently spend elsewhere on the roster knowing that they have an able veteran in the case of an injury to Yadier Molina. As the Cardinals try to balance rising salaries of star players with fielding a competitive team in St. Louis, players like Jason LaRue are crucial to the organization's success.

-ambill10

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