Geovany Soto

Catchers generally get plenty of chances to prove themselves in Major League Baseball, and veteran backstop Geovany Soto now has a new lease on life after agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels in free agency.

If the Oakland Athletics are able to beat the Kansas City Royals and advance to the American League Division Series, they may have to proceed without catcher Geovany Soto.

The 31-year-old veteran, who was acquired by the A's in August, was forced from Tuesday night's Wild Card Game with a thumb injury, per Fox Sports' MLB Twitter feed:

The Texas Rangers are looking to put the 2013 season completely in their rear view as they gear up for 2014.

Last year was filled with both good and bad memories, from a near-perfect game to a trade that didn’t pan out. The team also made history during a July series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Texas didn’t get a chance at a playoff run, but it was still a fun season to watch.

The Rangers took care of one housekeeping duty on Tuesday with the re-signing of catcher Geovany Soto.

Tier 1 – Joe Mauer

The Chicago Cubs are a great team. I may be a big White Sox fan, but I'm no slouch when it comes to knowing baseball. Believe me when I say that the Cubs will be bad next year.

Every year it's the same. The Cubs are World Series favorites, they start off hot, but then the second half is filled with losses and they eventually miss the championship series.

And, I am very happy.

But this article isn't about me. This piece is about the Cubs and their misfortunes.

Heading into the 2011 season, catcher is one of the last things that the Chicago Cubs will need to worry about, as long as Geovany Soto is lining up behind the dish.

Soto bounced back from a very poor sophomore season in 2010. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2008, Soto hit just .218 in 2009, with only 11 homers.

The 2010 season saw Soto bounce back from that sophomore slump, posting a .280 average and parking 17 big flies. 

While Joe Mauer and Brian McCann rate as the best-known offensive catchers in baseball, Geovany Soto was the best hitter in the league at that position in 2010.

Though he got only 387 plate appearances due to a mixture of injuries and managerial stupidity, Soto logged a career-best .890 OPS and socked 17 home runs.

There’s Always Next Year: Intro

With catcher arguably the most important position on the diamond, the Cubs seem to have found a solid foundation for the future—hopefully.

Geovany Soto proved that he certainly had the talent to repeat and even build upon his rookie campaign after that came into question in the 2009 season.

There has been a lot of news as of late regarding players being shut down for the rest of the season (and others who we aren’t quite sure about). 

Let’s take a look at a few of the names that influence fantasy owners.

Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs

Shoulder surgery brought his renaissance campaign to a bitter conclusion as he hit .280 with 17 HRs, 53 RBI, and 47 runs on the year.