ST. PETERSBURG — When the Rays acquired Christian Bethancourt from the A’s just less than a year ago, they weren’t sure exactly what they were getting.
He was 30 years old, was playing in the majors for the first time since 2017 and had only made a dozen starts behind the plate for Oakland, getting most of his at-bats while playing first.
But the Rays needed some help behind the plate with Mike Zunino hurt, their scouting reports on Bethancourt were good, and the acquisition cost was reasonable, so they decided to take a chance.
“When we made the deal, there were a few things that we liked about him,” general manager Peter Bendix recounted recently. “And he has exceeded our expectations almost since Day 1.
“Both the offense and the defense have been exceptional. And the person — we heard he was a good person and a good leader — and now to see it and to see him step into a leadership role on a team that needed it, that has been just as impressive as anything he’s done on the field.”
What the Rays value most in their catchers is how they help the pitchers.
Bethancourt has made a big difference in some ways, starting with the large target he sets as catcher given his 6-foot-3, 220-pound sculpted frame, and the significant presence when he gestures from behind the plate or visits the mound, acknowledging the benefit of learning English when he first got to pro ball. Plus, he controls the running game well.
“He does a tremendous job,” said starter Zach Eflin, who worked the previous four seasons with Phillies All-Star J.T. Realmuto. “He reminds me so much of J.T. He has that cool, calm, collected kind of confidence to him. You can feel his presence on the mound. The way he throws the ball back to you, the way he looks at you, the way the puts his arm around you.
“It’s little things like that. He’s so mature and poised. That’s what you dream of as a pitcher, to be able to follow a leader like that. He makes it easy. … He’s such a gifted athlete, and he finally has an opportunity to show what he can do.”
Bethancourt obviously welcomed that chance, and worked hard to make the best of it.
First with the A’s, who signed him after the one-time Braves top prospect had been converted to pitching by the Padres in 2017. He spent most of that season in Triple A, 2018 with the Brewers’ Triple-A team after returning to catching, 2019 in Korea, 2020 at home in Panama after being released by the Phillies following the pandemic shutdown and 2021 with the Pirates’ Triple-A team.
With the Rays back in Oakland this week, Bethancourt made a point of thanking the A’s, specifically manager Mark Kotsay, for the chance, especially since there were times during those frustrating interim years when he thought of quitting.