The physical attrition of the catcher position makes positional depth a franchise's primary postseason bottleneck.
Because of the extreme physical demands of the position, sudden catcher injuries repeatedly derail depth charts, trade-deadline strategies, and playoff pitching rotations.
The same conclusion keeps arriving from across the workspace's research — 1 topics independently instantiate this theme. Filter the evidence by where it came from:
Desperate for stability behind the plate due to catcher injuries and baseline demands, the Red Sox traded away massive prospect capital to secure a premier catcher.
A wave of catcher injuries forced the Rangers to trade for a long-term option behind the plate to protect their playoff push.
A sudden meniscus tear suffered by All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers disrupted MLB contenders' trade deadline plans by removing a prime catching target from the market.
Consecutive injuries to starting and rookie catchers leave the championship-contending team highly vulnerable and dependent on emergency trades.