Los Angeles Angels 2013 Depth Chart: 2013

Can Iannetta Stay Healthy in 2013?

One of the first things that Jerry Dipoto did in the off-season was re-sign Chris Iannetta to a 3-year, $15.5 million contract. Considering how few star catchers that there are in the MLB and how much fewer there are in the minors, snagging a decent catcher like Iannetta for a little over five million a year was probably a smart move on Dipoto's part and one that the Angels shouldn't regret.

The contract also solidified that Iannetta will be the starting Angels catcher in 2013 and that the Angels will be able to avoid the offensive black hole that they've had at the 2 position since the departure of Mike Napoli. That is if Chris Iannetta can stay healthy.

Chris Iannetta has only played over 100 games twice in his seven years in the major leagues. Hold up on your assumptions, though. Last year's wrist injury was the first time Iannetta has missed more than 15 consecutive games in his career. The reason he hasn't played more than 100 games only twice is more the result of a platoon in Colorado than his ability to stay healthy. Still, the wrist injury might be a concern moving forward as is Iannetta's decreased walk rate in 2012.

Beyond Iannetta is John Hester and Hank Conger. I wrote about them previously and as I mentioned in that post, neither is particularly appealing. Conger is the fan favorite but his inability to stay healthy and suspect defense makes him, in my opinion, a long-shot for the Angels 2013 backup catcher. That being said, the fight for backup catcher might be one of the few competitions to watch this spring.