For all the (obviously justified) bellyaching about the Braves’ pen, Bethancourt’s defensive lapses were most unhelpful yesterday. In a season that, despite the bullpen woes, has brought more pleasant than unpleasant surprises Bethancourt’s defense, especially, has been a letdown. Billed as a wizard with the leather, he’s been anything but.
His offense has picked up a bit, yet he’s done nothing really well other than run fast when he’s reached base. The backstop of the future might well be someone we don’t know. I get the argument to let Chris B. play more. As a tweeter on the local organ scribe’s account observed, he’s 75 percent sure CB is not the catcher of the future, but 100 percent sure AJ’s not the COTF.