Josh Thole

Josh Thole

38-Year-Old CatcherC
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Josh Thole in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, minor-league contract with the Yankees in January of 2020.
Makes taxi squad
CNew York Yankees  
August 26, 2020
Thole is traveling with the Yankees as part of their taxi squad, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
ANALYSIS
Thole began the season near the bottom of the team's catching depth chart, but an injury to Kyle Higashioka (oblique) and the retirement of Chris Iannetta has catapulted Thole to taxi-squad status. Though he's unlikely to be activated barring injury or illness to either Gary Sanchez or Erik Kratz, Thole will likely accompany the team on road trips until Higashioka is able to return. The Yankees' acquisition of Rob Brantly on Wednesday does cast some question about Thole's place on the depth chart moving forward, however.
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2020
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Josh Thole See More
AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
September 4, 2016
Erik Siegrist sorts through this year's wave of September call-ups and DL activations and recommends bidding big on Yoan Moncada as your last chance to add a potential impact bat.
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July 25, 2016
Jeff Stotts describes Clayton Kershaw’s post-injury pitching attempts as unsettling and discusses the possible ramifications of surgery if Kershaw ultimately goes that route.
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September 2, 2015
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Sunday Lineup Card: Seeing Red
August 30, 2015
Piscotty is the latest Cardinal to plug a sizable hole with his red hot play.
Monday Lineup Card: McCall on McCullers
August 23, 2015
Lance McCullers is Monday's Recommended Pickup after fanning eight over seven strong innings Sunday against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
When 2016 began, Thole was expected to see a fair share of playing time. Not only was he the personal catcher for knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, but Thole was also supposed to provide routine behind the dish for the aging Russell Martin. However, the 30-year-old's offense was so poor that he was sent to the minors, the Jays traded for another backup, and Thole was left off the playoff roster. A career .242 hitter, he hit a career-worst .169 over 136 at-bats while positing a 20.6 percent strikeout rate. Outside of a solid 2014 campaign in a reserve role, Thole's numbers on the whole have been declining since he became a regular with the Mets in 2010. He signed on with the Diamondbacks over the offseason, although with Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis already in tow to back up Chris Herrmann, Thole's chances of landing a big-league roster spot are slim to none.
Thole had something of a lost season in the Blue Jays' organization thanks to injuries and an unexpected catching backlog. Thole spent 45 games playing for Triple-A Buffalo and hit for a .228/.320/.262 slash line with no home runs. Thole’s value has never come from his bat, but rather that he’s been the personal catcher to R.A. Dickey, a knuckleballer. It is mostly in that role that he played 18 games for the Blue Jays, going 10-for-49 at the plate with two extra-base hits. While he’s a career .249 hitter in the MLB, he hasn’t hit above .234 at the big league level since 2011. With Dioner Navarro leaving as a free agent and catching help on the way—but not here yet—Thole should get a chance to be the full-time backup to Russell Martin. Martin is one of the most durable and dependable catchers, which should relegate Thole to catching Dickey and spelling Martin on night-to-day back-to-backs.
The personal catcher for R.A. Dickey, Thole saw few opportunities when Toronto's other starters were on the mound, finishing with 150 plate appearances in 57 games. Thole has had success at the upper levels of the minor leagues, slashing .292/.365/.464 in parts of three seasons at Triple-A, but he posted just a .598 OPS with the big club in 2014, lowering his career mark at the highest level to .639. He has turned in respectable strikeout and walk rates throughout the years, and the Blue Jays exercised his option for 2015, but Thole has limited offensive upside given his relative lack of power, and he will likely be confined to primarily catching Dickey again in 2015, a role which figures to yield little-to-no fantasy value.
Thole mashed at Triple-A Buffalo in 2013 but put together a meager .175/.256/.242 slash line in 45 games for the Blue Jays. He offers very little power, instead boasting decent contact and on-base skills. Given his offensive limitations, Thole will likely compete with Erik Kratz for the backup catcher job this spring. His leg up may come from having experience handling R.A. Dickey's knuckleball, a skill that proved valuable last season when the Blue Jays had trouble finding another backstop who could do the same.
The Mets were counting on Thole to handle a larger role last season, but injuries held him to 104 games and the offensive output across the board was down. Included in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays, Thole figures to serve as the backup to J.P. Arencibia in Toronto. Ultimately, it is a role that probably fits his skill set better, but Thole will likely be limited to a couple of starts per week now that he is no longer with the Mets.
Thole struggled the first two months of the season, bottoming out at .207 on May 25. That poor start came as a result of him altering his style to generate more power, by no longer choking up on the bat and swinging for the fences. In addition, he made several defensive adjustments that backfired. In late May, Thole went back to his old style and once again became what he is, an excellent contact hitter with minimal power, and a decent defender. With Ronny Paulino gone and Mike Nickeas as the backup, Thole should catch somewhere between 120-130 games.
Thole continued his rapid rise through the Mets' system, building off his solid 2009 season to have another fine year at Triple-A Buffalo. Thole was promoted in late June, and after sharing time with Rod Barajas, he took over as the starter behind the plate in August. Manager Terry Collins indicated that Thole will get a shot to be the everyday catcher, highlighting Thole's defensive improvement in terms of calling pitches and throwing from behind the plate. Thole won't hit for power but should provide solid batting and on-base averages. He could lose some time against left-handed starters and will need to hold off Ronny Paulino to be the team's main catcher.
Thole, who moved to catcher full-time in 2008, had a breakout season at High-A St. Lucie that season followed by a superb showing in the Arizona Fall League. He continued to surprise, batting .326 with a .392 OBP at Double-A Binghamton to earn a September call-up, where he hit .321 in 53 at-bats. Thole needs to work on the mental game of catching along with his throwing, and the signings of Henry Blanco and Chris Coste mean that Thole will likely start 2010 at Triple-A Buffalo. If he continues to progress, Thole could be the Mets' starting catcher in 2011 or 2012.
More Fantasy News
Optioned to alternate camp
CNew York Yankees  
July 19, 2020
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Makes 60-man player pool
CNew York Yankees  
June 30, 2020
Thole has been named part of the Yankees' 60-man roster.
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Signs minors deal with Yankees
CNew York Yankees  
January 28, 2020
Thole signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Tuesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
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Moves across town
CLos Angeles Angels  
July 12, 2019
Thole was traded from the Dodgers to the Angels on Friday along with Adam McCreery in exchange for cash considerations.
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Promoted to Triple-A
CLos Angeles Dodgers  
May 27, 2019
Thole has been promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.
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