We have long carried a running list of 2020-21 free agents. With the offseason now completed, it has been updated to feature the players presently scheduled to reach the open market at the conclusion of the 2020 season (whether or not it is played).
We’ll take the opportunity to run through the class of players by position … starting with the catchers (season-age for 2021; alphabetical order within category):
Top of the Class
- J.T. Realmuto (30) – The Phillies haven’t been able to work out a long-term deal with the star receiver, who is still in his prime. He could challenge for a record-setting free agent deal for a backstop.
Other Regulars (based upon 2019 playing time)
- Robinson Chirinos (36) – The late-bloomer keeps hitting and laying claim to more and more playing time.
- James McCann (31) – Despite a breakout 2019 season, the White Sox pushed McCann into a secondary role when they inked Yasmani Grandal.
- Yadier Molina (38) – There’s virtually no chance the Cards’ icon will make it to free agency, let alone end up with another team.
- Roberto Perez (32) ($5.5MM club option with a $450K buyout) – The Indians won’t allow Perez to become a free agent if he repeats his strong 2019 showing.
- Wilson Ramos (33) ($10MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout) – The bat is still legit but questions remain about how much the Buffalo can handle behind the dish. It’s possible the Mets could retain him after a big season, but Ramos could be a better fit in the American League going forward.
Top Timeshare Candidates
- Alex Avila (34) – High-OBP lefty hitter is still a nice complimentary piece, especially with a 26-man active roster.
- Welington Castillo (34) – He’s in need of a bounceback after a rough showing in ’19.
- Jason Castro (34) – The well-regarded defender just turned in an above-average year with the bat.
- Francisco Cervelli (35) – He struggled in 2019 but was a high-end hitter in the prior campaign.
- Tyler Flowers (35) – Flowers is a well-rated pitch-framer whose bat has faded a bit.
- Chris Iannetta (38) – The long-time veteran decided to keep going in 2020, but the season freeze puts his future in question.
- Sandy Leon (32) – A strong defensive backstop, Leon is going to have to show he can do something with the bat if he’s to keep getting chances.
- Jeff Mathis (38) – Mathis made his money on an unparalleled reputation for overall defensive value, but he may not get another MLB offer if he can’t improve on last year’s showing at the plate (.158/.209/.224).
- Austin Romine (32) – He got paid a fairly hefty sum by the Tigers after perking up offensively in the past two seasons.
- Kurt Suzuki (37) – The second act as a flyball-heavy home run hitter has had legs, as Suzuki has delivered three-straight above-average offensive seasons, but his inability to control the running game is a concern.
- Stephen Vogt (36) (2021 vesting/club option) – Vogt came back strong in 2019, but he’ll probably have to keep hitting at an above-average clip to hold onto a timeshare.
- Mike Zunino (30) – When he’s going with the bat, Zunino is a high-quality all-around performer. But he has never been consistent and the arrow pointed straight down (.165/.232/.312) in 2019.
The ages on these catchers tells you we’re past due for some younger catchers to start taking spots.
Right, I was looking at those ages, thinking arent catchers supposed to break down by 32-33yo but good for them for staying relevant so long
Catchers typically take longer to develop, hitting arb slightly later than most other players. Strong young catchers exist.
facts
Spot on. Was thinking the same thing.
Weakest position in baseball. It has been for a long time.
That’s absolutely true, but when ur worst offensive player at the weakest position in the game, theres not gonna be alot of demand, even if ur top 5 defensively
I think Jeff Mathis is gonna keep getting a contract even if he doesn’t hit because he makes pitchers better just check out the video on YouTube about him
that wasnt the case for my rangers last season. Lol. Truthfully, not his fault. I do see a valid point to that. But, I think he makes a better backup, minor league depth piece, or bullpen catcher. That way he could mentor young catchers, or pitchers but not bat, bc his hitting is bad enough to offset his value as a starting catcher
Mathis continually getting a contract is proof at how awful catching in general have been for a dozen, maybe more years. Who knows the reason, but near total lack of any quality for over half of MLB teams and those who have the rare bird that can both play half way decent defense and half way hit are rich at the position.
John silver
Really it’s the weakest position in the entire history of the game. Just look at the top 10 alltime after 1st 4-5. No particular order and just of top of my head…
Bench
Pudge
Piazza not in my top 10 but in most ppl
Fisk
Yogi
Carter
Starting to run out of players
Campy? Hartnett? Dickey? Posey maur or lucroy?
After 1st few gets hard. Oh yea molina
You know what’s up.
It’s “Foolish Baseball” that did the Mathis video. It shows basically he’s the worst offensive player in baseball .
And it shows that no one can call a game like him. You think Mike Minor and Lance Lynn suddenly figured out how to pitch? The video will show you how they did pitching to Mathis and others. You will see. Zack Greinke made him his personal catcher in Arizona and his era was like 1.75 lower with Mathis. It’s no fluke. He can’t bat but the dude can call a game and make a pitcher better. So he will keep playing until pitches don’t like throwing to him anymore.
That’s all valid. But still likely only starting 40-50 games a season. U can throw him out 2 or 3 days a week, to work with certain pitchers. But cant afford to send him out there everyday and hit .165. Is their a rule, DHS has to hit for pitcher. Could u let pitcher hit and use dh for mathis? kidding
I could see basically the whole NL East having a bidding war on Realmuto. All five look to be teams that could use a catcher an offseason from now and probably offer the best fits.
I doubt that for the Braves at least. They have Dnaurd for another year and have two highly touted catching prospects in double A. My personal guess is that they will resign Flowers to a 1 year deal with a club option. That gives basically two years to have one of the two catching prospects make it to the majors.
The fish won’t bite. He hates losing all his team mates before. They had a chance on him . They would have to offer top dollar. And with all the talent coming that payroll is going to spike (Right after Chen and Co. come off payroll)
I wish they extended him in good faith to the locals that the nonsense is over. But I can see them extended BA or someone like Stanek or Smith. Unfortunately no homecoming for JT.
Also he has less catcher mileage on him. He became a catcher after a couple years in the minors and he can play adequate first base.
No, not at all. The Marlins won’t. It’s difficult to imagine that after the fuss he raised about getting traded, not to mention the fact that they are still rebuilding and with the new Jeter fronted ownership we have no idea what kind of budget they will run with.
Won’t be the Braves or Mets either. The Mets haven’t gone swimming in the deeper parts of the FA pool for a long time, especially with their debt. The Braves are even less likely. They don’t give out long contracts with huge dollars and especially when Contreras is close to being ready and Langeliers among the Braves more promising prospects.
The Nationals..MAYBE? They will have a need but they also recently dished out that monster contract to Strasburg and they might want to think about extending Turner and Soto. They could be the only NLE team that is a threat to the Phillies but from where I am sitting I don’t think so.
Like the 2020 free agency, this 21′ class is hand-crafted for the Rangers. George Springer would fill our center field, he’s right handed, and he’s a powerful middle of the order bat (or just stick him at lead off for some reason). Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball, and we will need a catcher until Huff comes up (though because of Huff, I do not think that we will get Realmuto, maybe we’ll just re-sign Chirinos for another year). Minor will have to be re-signed (which I think will happen), and they will have to pick up Kluber for 21′, but besides that the rotation is set. All in all, I do not think we will get Betts, (even though we have the cap space to go all the way with a huge contract on him). Springer is realistic though, and I actually do think that he signs with Texas this winter (if he doesn’t re-sign with the asterisks).
Molina never gonna leave.
Yadi getting ready to put Knizner in trade talks.
that’s what happened to Carson Kelly
Kelly is playing pretty good with Arizona. Gotta believe the Marlins are going to get plenty of offers for Alfaro again in the offseason
Alex Avila is the perfect catcher if you need someone to hit into a double play at a critical time or just pop it up on the infield
yeah I was looking at that list thinking, ok, next year I can see trading wilson contreras for an absolute haul if amaya steps up and caratini doesn’t crater.
Man..catcher position looking old these days.
JTR looks like a man aiming for free agency after he said he wanted to push the line for catchers of the future. I imagine the struggle is over years more than AAV.
Has to be a little frustrating for Phillies FO and fans. A long contract for anyone 30 and up is a tough sell for any player, let alone a catcher who has that many innings on his knees?
I can already here someone saying they can move him to 1B when he can’t catch anymore. That would mitigate some of the loss but you will still be paying him $25 to $30 million a year or so for a .275/.328/.493 slash line.
Even that’s optimistic because it assumes his bat won’t regress.
I thought JTR was going to magically fall in love with Philly and sign there for like half of what the market would have offered? At least that’s what their fans were saying when they traded for him.
I don’t know what Phillies fans you’ve spoken but that’s not the feeling I’ve had and I don’t think anyone else had. It’s been why haven’t “we paid the man yet” since we traded for him.
They do exist and if you aren’t concerned about it then maybe you should be. You are going to be paying JTR something around $28 million at the age of 34. For a catcher that is terrifying.
Catchers struggle so much with the bat lately
Catchers struggle so much with the bat lately
Dear MLB Trade Rumors; “record setting free-agent deals” are so 2019… Baseball is in for a bad 2-3 years economically. MLB is losing $200+ million dollars a month right now… If the purist get their way and insist it’s 162 games or bust the MLB will easily lose over two billion dollars in 2020. There will be free agent contracts offered in 2021, just at 75% of what you would have expected a year ago.
More games will equal LESS $$$? Not sure about that but I think you’re equivocating. Each individual team owner can absorb their losses more easily than you, me or small business owners. You might find some owners even spending a bit more to re-invigorate the fan base.
The wealthy become wealthy by thinking differently than people like you or I.
I’d take Russell Martin over half the guys on that timeshare list.
Martin is a time share himself.