Can't knock Jed Hoyer for taking time off this winter. Since the regular season ended the Friars GM has traded for new starters at CF and SS, signed a new starting 2B, added a veteran starting pitcher plus dealt away the Padres best player. His off-season to do list has been pared down as a result of these moves but by no means is Hoyer finished.

Still to come is a FA signing to man 1B. We know that because Jed told us he would add a first-sacker via free agency. Last week, right here, we profiled some of Hoyer's options.

Hoyer also will look to address the catching position by bringing in a backup to replace the departed Yorvit Torrealba. Torrealba signed a free agent deal in Texas. A quick look at the remaining options and I don't see a Torrealba-like player on the market.

Here are the few names left to pick from.

Josh Bard

Bengie Molina

Gregg Zaun

As I read the names I just wrote my mind is filled with nothing but the noise of crickets. Seriously, Bard is a former Friar, Molina has name recognition and Zaun has been around seemingly forever. Yet I don't feel real good about any of these guys doing what Yorvit did a year ago.

For those of you with short memories, all Torrealba did for the Friars was post a solid .343 OBP and hit .271 while playing in the less than friendly hitting confines of Petco. He also threw out 36.7% of the runners attempting to steal against.

Before we attempt to guess how Hoyer and the Padres try to solve the backup catching need, what type of player might he be looking for?

Hoyer and his crew certainly value defense and I imagine for a catcher they would want someone that can handle a pitching staff. Molina comes with the reputation of working well with pitchers as does the veteran Zaun.

I also feel the Padres should look to someone that can handle the bat. They've moved the only big stick they had in Gonzo so for the Friars to have any success on offense they need contributions from everyone in the lineup.

Bard hasn't hit at any level since 2007. We can eliminate him safely. Molina once hit clean up for the Giants but that was more of a reflection on how poor the Giants were on offense at the time. Zaun has never been known for swinging a prolific bat so this question may come down as much to which of these guys will hurt the Padres offense least.

Molina has a career .307 OBP and his wRC+ is just 87. Worse yet his wRC+ in 2010 was 67. That comes despite finishing the season at a more hitter-friendly park in Texas. I find the downwards trend disturbing.

I also tend to believe that while Molina may be willing to take a one-year deal I don't think he's going to want to accept a salary much less than the $4.5 million he made last year. Yeah, my guess is the Padres won't want to pay more than a million.

That almost leaves Zaun by default. Suprisingly though, Zaun hasn't been too bad with the stick. His career OBP is .344; that's a mark nearly 20 points better than the NL average for all hitters last season. His wRC+ for his career is 94; not too bad for a catcher. He may not have the same reputation for slugging as Molina but in many other ways Zaun is the better offensive player.

Zaun is 40 so I doubt he'll hold out for a multi-year deal. He's also coming off a 2010 in which he made $2.15 million so is more likely to accept a lower offer from a team like the Padres.

Before we simply award Greg Zaun a job in San Diego, we need to see if there may be a viable in-house option for the position. The only other catcher on the 40 man roster is Luis Martinez. The 25 year-old played the entire season for AA San Antonio and finished with a .717 OPS in 410 PA. He did reach base at a .368 clip but clubbed just 19 extra base hits. Martinez threw out 31% of potential base-stealers so the potential is there for him to help control the running game.

Martinez only has 39 PA above the AA level and that was in 2009. He didn't show much there so logically speaking Martinez would be best suited to spend a full year with San Diego's newest AAA affiliate in Tucson.

For those of you hoping I would be able to identify a Torrealba-like gem to fill the Padres need for a backup catcher, I apologize. There just isn't that player available. If I were Hoyer, I would steer clear of Molina and call Gregg Zaun's agent. He isn't a sexy name but the veteran could satisfy the need for a second catcher.