Player Profile - Manny Pina

  
Position: Catcher
Hits/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 5'11''/185
Birthday: 6/5/1987 (Age 21)
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2008 Season; Minor League Free Agent after 2010 Season

Background: Manny Pina signed out of Venezuela in 2004.  His greatest asset was seen to be his plus arm, and the Rangers signed him during the international signing period that summer.  There was not a lot of competition for Pina, and the Rangers signed him quite easily.

Tools: Pina's plus tools revolve around his defense.  His arm is rated highly, as is his glove.  There's no doubt in the Rangers' organization that he has the best defense behind the plate of any of the young catchers other than Taylor Teagarden, who is much more experienced.  He does make a good deal of errors, however, but the Rangers and most scouts believe this is due more to his talent, ability, and environment than his weaknesses.  With time, he is expected to be a plus-plus defender.  On the other side of things, he is not so good.  His hit tool is highly questioned and with good reason.  His .265 average at Bakersfield this season is the best he's seen as a pro, and he doesn't look to be improving much.  His power is practically non-existent, as he's only hit 4 long balls in 666 at-bats stateside.  His bat will certainly not be winning him any awards.  His legs are that of a catcher, and look to be becoming that of a catcher with the last name Molina.  He has four career steals against none caught, and I wouldn't waive him around third on a single in any circumstance.  Overall, his best tools are by far his defending tools, and his bat will only develop if he improves his weak plate discipline.

Professional Experience: After signing in 2004, Pina was not eligible to start playing until 2005.  The Rangers were somewhat aggressive with Pina, bringing him to catch in the Arizona League at age 18, even though they had converted him to catcher just a year before.  He struggled with his bat and finished at just .247/.356/.306 in 85 at-bats.  He didn't strike out much, and showed some patience, but it was due more to bad pitching than his own eye (he was hit by a pitch eight times).  Unfortunately, Pina succumbed to Tommy John surgery at that point, with his conversion to catcher a likely cause.  This caused him to miss most of 2006.  He did manage to get in 45 at-bats late in the campaign, and he hit .244/.300/.333.  2007 was a key year of development for Pina, as his main goal was to get healthy and have a full season of development.  In those areas, he was successful.  He spent the entire year behind the plate for Clinton, catching 84 of the 86 games he played in.  His bat continued to be behind his glove, and he finished at .228/.278/.285 in 281 at-bats.  Amazingly, he only struck out 28 times over the course of the season.  However, that was equaled out by his even lower number of walks (15).  Pina entered 2008 at a crossroads, as he entered the season needing to improve at the plate to see any sort of future as a baseball player.

2008 Season: Pina's season has seen improvement in most facets of his game.  Behind the plate, Pina has continued steady development into the premier defensive option at the lower minor league levels.  At the dish, Pina's raised his average significantly, and he was at .265/.313/.359 for Bakersfield before his call-up to Frisco just a short time ago.  He's continued to be a tough batter to strike out, as he's only gone down 28 times in 255 at-bats between two levels, just barely more often than last year at Clinton.  He's once again only walked 15 times, and his plate discipline continues to be a concern.  However, with his average rising, he is starting to put his plus hand-eye coordination into more hard-hit balls, raising his batting average on balls in play.  With about a month to go in the season (including playoffs), Pina will try to finish strong at AA. 

Future Outlook: Pina's outlook is still that of a backup catching option at the big league level.  With a strong finish this season, he'll raise his value to the organization quite a bit.  He looks to be ticketed for Frisco to start next season, and we'll see if his hand-eye coordination plays out against better pitching.  If he continues to improve, he might play himself into being a catcher in the Einar Diaz mold.  If not, he can be a good option for a backup catcher, as his defense is universally seen as his main asset.

Profile Coming Next: RHP Brennan Garr

Don't forget to check Rangers Rosters Update for current Ranger roster moves across all affiliations.