Chris Iannetta

Most anticipated Iannetta's numbers improving after he joined the Rockies. The opposite happened, with his stats in nearly every category taking a dive even as he logged his most plate appearances since 2014. He ended up with a .272/.379/.497 slash line with seven home runs in Denver. His struggles came away from home, as he mustered just a .590 OPS outside of the thin Colorado air. Iannetta has one more year on his contract, so he figures to get a little more time to pad his stats at Coors Field. However, he'll need to vastly improve on the road to maintain regular playing time over younger options like Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy. With catcher being a fantasy black hole, Iannetta's power potential and home park make him worth a look in two-catcher leagues as long as he wears a Colorado uniform.

Moving to the desert agreed with Iannetta, as he rebounded in a big way from his one-year stay in the Pacific Northwest. The veteran backstop bounced back from a miserable campaign with the Mariners to post a .254/.354/.511 triple slash, his best campaign since his salad days with the Rockies. Iannetta also was helpful behind the dish, improving his pitch framing, no doubt aiding the growth of Robbie Ray and Zack Godley. With respect to the improvement in the batter's box, one may assume it was park-related, as Chase Field is a much friendlier venue than Safeco Field and Angels Stadium, Iannetta's previous digs. Keep in mind, Iannetta has always been better in OBP leagues and points formats scoring walks. Returning to Colorado keeps Iannetta in a great hitting environment, though he'll be competing with Tony Wolters and possibly Tom Murphy for playing time.

Iannetta can draw a lot of walks. That's about the only good thing one can say about the veteran backstop's offensive profile, as he took another step back in his lone year as a Mariner. He managed to bring his batting average back above the Mendoza Line, but he swatted three fewer home runs, drove in 10 fewer runs and struck out just as much as he did in 2015. He also continued to falter against right-handed pitching (.185 batting average vs. RHP, .248 vs. LHP), which eventually led to his losing the starting job to Mike Zunino. Iannetta's decrease in power (career-low .119 ISO last season) and high propensity to strike out (24.6 percent strikeout rate) forced him to settle for a backup gig with the Diamondbacks, where he'll likely reside for all of 2017 unless Chris Herrmann struggles.

Iannetta had his best year in an Angels uniform in 2014 but may have followed that up with the worst season of his career, as he tallied a paltry batting line with 10 home runs in 92 games. Interestingly, Iannetta's peripherals stayed about the same in both seasons, with the most significant difference being his batting average on balls in play, which tumbled to .225 after a climb to .329 in 2014. While this suggests that his production in 2014 was primarily a product of good fortune, he still has his trademark plate discipline (12.9-percent walk rate in 2015) and moderate power (.147 ISO) which could keep him relevant in two catcher leagues if his BABIP normalizes to his career average of .277. Iannetta will look to carve out a significant share of the playing time behind the plate in Seattle after signing with the Mariners in November.

Iannetta may have had his best season in an Angels uniform in 2014, as his .373 on-base percentage was his best mark since he was a member of the Rockies in 2008. His peripherals were similar to his 2013 numbers, with the one standout being his BABIP, which stood at a career-best .329. The veteran once again split time at catcher with Hank Conger last season, but that tradition will break in 2015, as Conger was traded to the Astros in November. While this may lead one to believe that Iannetta will see more than the 96 games he played behind the plate last season, general manager Jerry Dipoto has suggested that he'll remain in the 110-115 game range. Iannetta will likely continue to combine moderate pop with excellent plate discipline in 2015, but unless he begins to see more games behind the dish, his value will be limited.

Iannetta headed into the 2013 season having inked a three-year, $15.5 million contract extension just a few months prior. Looking for a bounce-back season as the Angels' starting catcher, Iannetta posted an identical OPS (.730) to that of his 2012 season, when a broken wrist caused him to play in only 79 games. Iannetta's once prodigious power may have been a creation of Coors Field, as he failed to slug .400 for the second straight year with the Halos, but his elite plate discipline will likely keep him in the game, as he posted a career-high walk rate (17.0%) in 2013, which ranked him second in the majors to Joey Votto among batters with a minimum of 350 plate appearances. A career-low .198 batting average against right-handed pitchers forced a platoon situation midseason, with Hank Conger taking some of Iannetta's at-bats against righties, but he should have the opportunity to win the job back in 2014, as he undoubtedly opened some eyes with his .286/.375/.536 line in September.

A broken wrist cost Iannetta a large chunk of his 2012 season, but he finished his first season as an Angel with a respectable .240/.332/.398 batting line in only 253 plate appearances. The .240 batting average might actually be on the high end of what we can expect for Iannetta, as he's only a .236 career hitter despite spending his first six seasons in Colorado and batting .262 at Coors Field. The good news for the Angels is that Iannetta has decent power and excellent plate disciple, plus he is a good defensive catcher, so the team should be able to live with a low batting average from him. Iannetta signed a three-year, $15.5 million extension to remain with the Angels and he will enter the 2013 season as the clear-cut starting catcher in Anaheim.

The Angels acquired Iannetta for Tyler Chatwood in late November and he'll head to Anaheim to serve as the Angels' primary backstop. In addition to earning a reputation as a good defensive catcher, Iannetta presents significantly more upside than the trio who shared the position for the Halos last season. Iannetta is often the owner of a low batting average, but he's made up for it with a good eye at the plate (career .357 OBP). Keep in mind, however, that many of his plate appearances have come in the eighth spot ahead of the Rockies pitchers, which won't be the case for him in the American League. Further, Iannetta has a career .208/.338/.369 line outside of Coors Field, so expectations should be tempered as he changes leagues and now plays half of his games in a pitcher-friendly environment.

Iannetta had another tumultuous season in 2010. He came out of the gates in a slump and was sent to the minors, a decision he openly questioned. There he found his stroke (.349/.447/.698) and earned a promotion back to the majors in late May. He got hot in July (.273/.415/.727), but faded down the stretch (.188/.314/.327 post All-Star break). With Miguel Olivo now gone, Iannetta will have yet another shot in 2011 to claim the starter's role. His .212 BABIP and decreasing strikeout rate suggest a rebound is on the way. Most likely, he'll continue to tease owners with flashes of power and a floundering batting average.

Iannetta had a disappointing 2009 by all accounts, finishing the year with a .228 average and 16 home runs. By September, it was clear that backup catcher Yorvit Torrealba gave the team a better chance to win games, and Iannetta's development took a back seat to the club's playoff push. The good news is that the Rockies will likely name Iannetta the starter out of spring training this season, and Torrealba may not return with the team at all. Beyond that, the Rockies locked him up with a cost-effective three-year extension. He's got good pop, and he'll get another chance to prove that in 2010, making him a good buy-low candidate.

Iannetta bounced back from a BABIP trough in '07 to get back to his Chris Hoiles impersonation and grab the lion's share of the Rockies' catching job. His on-base skills make him most valuable in nonstandard leagues, but the homers and RBI will play in any format. There's 30-homer upside here, while you can get much better value from him than the typical late-round option behind the plate.

Iannetta entered 2007 as the Rockies' starting catcher, but he had a difficult time adjusting at the plate and wound up getting demoted midway through the season. He worked on his swing at Triple-A and eventually earned another callup. Iannetta is a strong defensive catcher and has shown the ability to hit in the minor leagues. The Rockies re-signed Yorvit Torrealba to a two-year deal so there must be some concern within the organization about Iannetta's ability to own the everyday job. That said, he will be only 25 at the start of the season and still has plenty of promise. Torrealba is the starter, but expect Iannetta to get plenty of playing time.

The Rockies tendered a contract to Yorvit Torrealba in December, but barring an awful spring, Iannetta is expected to get the majority of starts behind the plate. He made short work of Double-A and Triple-A pitching, batting .336/.433/.567. Once in Colorado, he predictably had his ups and downs, but still brings an intriguing package of 15-20 homer power and strong plate discipline. He'll never be a Gold Glove-caliber defender, but he's worked hard to be adequate. He's a nice fantasy sleeper once the top catchers are off the board.

Moving from Single-A to Double-A during the year, Iannetta emerged as a strong prospect in 2005 and earned a slot in the Futures Game. He's a smart, mature signal-caller with average throwing ability, nailing 32 percent of base stealers. He'll begin 2006 at Double-A and will spend the year developing his skills, with a possible call-up in September.