Austin Romine

Romine turned in career-best rate stats in 2019 and was rewarded with a one-year, $4.15 million contract from the Tigers. He will be looking to prove himself as more than a backup in 2020 and cash in again next offseason. During his time with the Yankees, Romine never exceeded 80 games played or 265 plate appearances. His performance on the field did not warrant more playing time earlier in his career, but Romine has been close to league average with the bat over the past two seasons, ranking 20th among catchers in wRC+ since the start of 2018 (min. 300 PA). Romine shaved five percentage points off his strikeout rate, though Statcast says he deserved to hit closer to .265 given the batted-ball profile. He provides solid defense behind the plate and the Tigers are lacking in viable alternatives, so while there are better second-catcher options, Romine has a lot of them beat when it comes to projected volume.

With starting catcher Gary Sanchez missing considerable time due to a groin injury, Romine came to the plate a career-high 265 times in 2018 and performed adequately, posting career highs in all three triple-slash categories (.244/.295/.417) en route to a respectable 91 wRC+. He chipped in 10 home runs, more than doubling his career total. Now 30 years old, there's little reason to believe he'll take another step forward and be anything more than the career backup he's been thus far, but he should have his roster spot locked up and could again receive a decent share of playing time should Sanchez's injury problems continue.

Romine may be running out of chances -- he has a negative-1.6 fWAR through 219 career games and zero seasons with a positive mark. He logged a career-high 252 plate appearances last season and his performance at the dish was well below league average (49 wRC+) as Romine did nothing particularly well with the bat. While he did lift his walk rate, it was still modest at 6.3 percent, and he struck out more (22.6 percent) and hit for almost no power in his age-28 season. Romine managed just four extra-base hits (all doubles) in 144 plate appearances away from Yankee Stadium, resulting in the second-lowest slugging percentage among 49 catchers with at least 200 plate appearances. The Yankees tendered Romine a contract for 2018, so he should be back to help out behind Gary Sanchez although it's not out of the question that the team could swap him out with Erik Kratz if he struggles in the spring.

Romine beat out Gary Sanchez in spring training to win the No. 2 catcher job to open the year and the 28-year-old remained in a backup capacity for the duration of the season. However, Sanchez, who didn't see any action until August, exploded when given the chance and quickly seized the spot atop the catching depth chart. With Brian McCann traded to Houston, Romine figures to open the year as the backup catcher once again in the Bronx, but his career 54 wRC+ (100 is an average big league hitter) serves as a nice reminder that there is not much to see here from a fantasy perspective.

Romine lost the spring training battle with John Ryan Murphy for the backup catcher role, and ended up serving as the primary catcher with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a result. He projects to be a stronger defensive player than a reliable option at the plate, a forecast that held true again this season as he hit .260 with seven home runs in the minors. Even with the offseason trade of John Ryan Murphy, it is a little difficult to see where Romine fits into the long term future, with Brian McCann locked in for the next three seasons and prospect Gary Sanchez finally starting to make his way up the organization's depth chart. He’ll likely compete with Sanchez for the backup job in spring training, but at 27 years old, it’s unlikely he’ll see substantial time in the majors if he loses out on that battle.

Romine hit just .179/.258/.179 during Grapefruit League play and lost the competition for the backup job to Francisco Cervelli, but got the call up less than a week into the season with the team seeking the flexibility to use Cervelli and Brian McCann occasionally at first base after Mark Teixeira went down. His stay with the big club was short-lived, however, as Romine went sent back down just days later. Cervelli got hurt shortly thereafter, but rather than bring Romine back, the Yankees promoted John Ryan Murphy and left Romine down for his first extended run at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Romine did not fare well, hitting just .242/.300/.365 with six homers in 81 games, and he rarely saw opportunities during his other stints with the major league team. A second-round pick in 2007, he is still just 26 and has displayed a decent eye and quality receiving skills in the minors. Further, with Cervelli shipped to Pittsburgh in the offseason, the door is open for Romine to again compete for the backup job. However, his fantasy upside is marginal as Murphy and particularly Gary Sanchez project as more valuable options.

Romine finally got a shot at major league playing time in 2013, and while he got off to a putrid start at the plate, he seemed to find his form as time went on, putting up a 16-for-42 stretch at one point. The 25-year-old could continue to develop double-digit power at the plate, and while he'll never be a superstar, his batting eye and decent receiving skills could enable him to contribute to a major league team for quite a while. With the Yankees, those contributions will have to come in a backup role following the addition of Brian McCann in free agency.

Romine missed much of last season with a back injury, which stalled his development toward becoming the Yankees' catcher of the future. Romine has a good arm behind the plate, and projects to develop mid-teens power with a decent average. Romine is likely not quite ready to step into the full-time job, so we may see the Yankees try to get a veteran on a short-term deal so Romine can continue to develop in the minors. Romine won't be a superstar, but he could be a slightly above average starting catcher for years to come.

Romine has the skills to be at least an average major league catcher as he hit .286 for Double-A Trenton in 2011, and scouts forecast him to develop low double-digit power. With the trade of Jesus Montero to Seattle, Romine has an easier path to playing time. However, Gary Sanchez isn't too far behind Romine in the system. Don't count on a huge offensive breakout if he secures a major league role with the Yankees or if he's traded elsewhere, but Romine should hit enough to be a decent fantasy starter for 2013 and beyond.

Romine had a strong start to 2010, but a second-half slide dropped his final line to .268/.324/.402 at Double-A Trenton. As a hitter, he's well behind Jesus Montero, but scouts think he'll still have average power, and he's the better defender of the two. However, he's stuck in a holding pattern until the Yankees decide how to handle their abundance of riches. Montero is more likely to get the first look with the big club, and if he's able to hold his own, Romine may get stuck at Triple-A as potential trade bait. But if Montero falters and needs to switch positions (or gets traded himself), Romine will assume the "catcher of the future" mantle.

Romine spent last year with High-A Tampa, hitting .276/.322/.441 while smacking 13 homers in 442 at-bats. As one of two highly touted catchers in the Yankees’ system, Romine lags behind Jesus Montero in terms of offensive production, though some scouts believe he has enough power potential to be a 20- to 25-homer threat in the majors. Defensively, Romine has the edge thanks to his strong throwing arm, though he is still a work in progress with his footwork. It will be interesting to see how the Yankees handle their two young prospects in 2011 (the final year of Jorge Posada’s contract) and beyond, but for now Romine will continue to hone his skills at Double-A Trenton.

Although he'll likely be competing with Jesus Montero for the organization's catcher of the future tag, Romine has plenty of upside with his bat despite shaky defensive skills behind the plate. Montero was more productive when the duo spent 2008 at Low-A Charleston, but Romine isn't far behind and he could ultimately become the better prospect if he responds well efforts to improve his defense. He's still a few years away from a big league debut, while Romine figures to spend most of 2009 at High-A Tampa.