The period of the offseason immediately following the postseason is the loneliest of all for the avid baseball fan. There are generally few trades and players aren’t eligible for free agency yet. So, it is high time to start the process of rating the players. Obviously, some will depend on where certain guys wind up, but we can always look at what players did in the past and project some for the future. We will look at total points, five, and six category formats. We will start with total points

The idea behind total points is to encompass more of what a player contributes offensively. It includes all extra base hits and penalizes for negative events. Each platform uses its own formula, so we will use ours. Obviously, you will need to adjust as your personal needs allow. Our formula is listed below.

Total Bases + Runs + RBI + BB + SB + HBP – SO – CS – GIDP = Total Points.

Buster Posey—San Francisco Giants

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	140	348		2.49
2016	146	382		2.62
2015	150	423		2.82
2014	147	403		2.74
2013	148	351		2.37
AVG	146	381	1	2.61	2

DRS: +2

Contract Status: Signed Through 2021

Buster Posey is the king. Long live the king. He is obviously in a different category not only because of his talent, but because the Giants utilize him a lot at first base. So, he plays 20 to 30 more games than most other catchers. That obviously has a huge impact on his season long numbers that gives him a sizeable lead in total points. However, we saw that he was eclipsed in total points per game. It might be the first chink in the armor for a player that has been the best in baseball for half a decade.

Wilson Ramos—Tampa Bay Rays

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	64	110		1.72
2016	131	318		2.43
2015	128	183		1.43
2014	88	158		1.80
2013	78	183		2.35
AVG	98	190	12	1.94	9

DRS: -5

Contract Status: Signed through 2018

The Rays wisely signed Ramos to a two-year deal at a discount because he was recovering from an ACL tear. It is the kind of measured risk a team with a low budget payroll has to make. He rewarded them by playing fairly close to career norms in the second half once he returned. This year he should be in line to produce somewhere between 2015 and 2016 numbers. If he splits the difference he, the Rays, and fantasy owners will likely be happy.

J.T. Realmuto—Miami Marlins

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	141	304		2.16
2016	137	255		1.86
2015	126	219		1.74
AVG	135	259	6	1.92	11

DRS: -5

Contract Status: Arbitration

Back in the good old days, teams built champions with players like Realmuto. He has gotten better in each of his three seasons and that’s the model most teams want. He might plateau or he might take another step. Either way, he has transformed himself into a top ten catcher. He’s even improved some with the glove. Like Posey, he has also played the occasional first base. Therefore, the aggregate you see above is probably on the pessimistic end of the spectrum.

Cameron Rupp—Philadelphia Phillies

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	88	109		1.24
2016	105	169		1.61
2015	81	100		1.23
AVG	91	126	26	1.38	24

DRS: -10

Contract Status: Arbitration

Rupp is the kind of guy losing teams throw out there when they have no one else to use. He was good enough to hold down the fort until something better came along. Something better has come along in the form of Jorge Alfaro. Still, Rupp should be a good guy to keep around to catch 40 or 50 games. That shouldn’t find its way onto anyone’s fantasy roster, but it is enough for Rupp to get a paycheck.

Gary Sanchez—New York Yankees

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	122	341		2.80
2016	53	173		3.26
AVG	88	257	7	2.92	1

DRS: +1

Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration

The playoffs have a way of exposing a player one way or the other. Sanchez came up a little small defensively in the ALCS. That might affect him in the future when it comes to how much he actually gets to catch. They may DH him on some occasions to get him into the lineup. He finished the regular season on a hot streak offensively, so hopefully that will continue.

Kevan Smith—Chicago White Sox 

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	87	117		1.34
AVG	87	117	27	1.34	26

DRS: -6

Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration

Maybe it was coming out the other end of a multi-year rebuilding phase in Houston, but I enjoy watching rebuilding phases from afar. Yes, individual games get ugly, but it is fun watching which players make it and which ones don’t. The Sox have two catchers in Smith and Omar Narvaez that could make it. Of course, neither of them could make it. Smith hit for a very healthy average, but did little else last season. He will need to develop some power or patience (or both) to make it long-term.

Kurt Suzuki—Atlanta Braves 

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	81	222		2.74
2016	106	188		1.77
2015	131	185		1.41
2014	131	258		1.97
2013	94	143		1.52
AVG	109	199	10	1.83	12

DRS: +4

Contract Status: Signed Through 2018

On the statistical/fantasy level we know Suzuki can’t sustain what he did last season. Furthermore, the average is thrown off by the one season of outrageous production. On a human level, you root for a guy that has spent an entire career in relative obscurity. He’s been solid defensively for years, but he has always been a mediocre catcher overall. At least he had one season of glory before he hangs them up.

Stephen Vogt—Milwaukee Brewers 

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	99	145		1.46
2016	137	259		1.89
2015	136	276		2.03
2014	84	154		1.83
2013	47	66		1.40
AVG	101	180	13	1.78	13

DRS: -6

Contract Status: Arbitration

What the numbers above don’t show is that Vogt had pretty much became himself once he went to Milwaukee. That’s the good news. The bad news is that while his struggles in Oakland were overblown, he has been slipping since he became an everyday catcher in 2015. He is probably not a regular fantasy catcher, but he’s close. He’s certainly a good second catcher option in any fantasy format.

Matt Wieters—Washington Nationals/Free Agent 

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	123	172		1.40
2016	124	230		1.85
2015	75	108		1.44
2014	26	68		2.62
2013	148	290		1.96
AVG	99	174	16	1.76	14

DRS: -3

Contract Status: Player Option

Bless his heart, Scott Boras tried to claim his client was in such demand because of his work with pitchers. If only there were statistics that chronicled such a thing. GMs weren’t buying it last offseason as he was the last guy to sign at the position. If Wieters were smart he would opt back in and get paid another ten million dollars. He probably wouldn’t get that on the open market, but Boras is more than welcome to try.

Mike Zunino—Seattle Mariners 

	G	TP	Rank	TP/G	Rank
2017	124	193		1.56
2016	55	86		1.56
2015	112	48		0.43
2014	131	149		1.14
2013	52	59		1.13
AVG	95	107	29	1.13	29

DRS: +4

Contract Status: Arbitration

Conventional wisdom says that Zunino discovered something late in 2016 that has transformed him as a player. Sure, he is still very flawed, but he contributes enough power to warrant a spot. In this case, the aggregate doesn’t really apply. It is certainly possible that he could turn back into a pumpkin, but given the minimal investment it would take to get him, the risk is not that great.