Chris Iannetta

2013

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2012

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.

2011

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.

2010

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.

2009

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.

2008

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.

2007

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.

2006

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.