The past couple of weeks have seen many of the top layers of the catching market come off the board. The top trade candidate, Sean Murphy, will be moving from Oakland to Atlanta. Four of the best free agents also found new homes, with Willson Contreras joining the Cardinals, Christian Vázquez going to the Twins, Mike Zunino to the Guardians and Omar Narváez to the Mets.
There are still plenty of teams that have either been reported to be seeking an upgrade or make sense for one, including the Cubs, Diamondbacks, Astros, Giants, Pirates, Padres, Tigers, Rays, Angels, Marlins and Red Sox. So, what options do they have left? Let’s take a look.
Free Agents
Sánchez, 30, is generally regarded as a bat-first catcher, having launched 154 home runs in his career so far. His overall batting line is .225/.311/.467, leading to a wRC+ of 109. That indicates he’s been 9% better than the league average hitter, but even further ahead of the average backstop since they tend to produce a bit less with the bat.
The flipside of that potent bat is below-average defense, with Defensive Runs Saved giving him a -8 for his career so far and FanGraphs’ framing metric grading him at -8.0. His 2022 was a bit of a reversal for him, with those defensive grades coming in slightly above average as his offense slipped to .205/.282/.377 (89 wRC+)
Hedges, 30, might be the best defensive catcher in the league but will unfortunately put a hole in a lineup. In 2,001 career plate appearances, he’s hit .189/.247/.331 for a wRC+ of 54. His last four seasons have finished with a wRC+ under 50. However, his 75 DRS since his debut in 2015 is tops in the majors while FanGraphs gives his framing a 64.7 in that time, which trails only Yasmani Grandal and Tyler Flowers.
Pérez, 34 next week, is a similar glove-first option like Hedges, though he’s more likely to be useful at the plate. His career batting line is .207/.298/.360 for a wRC+ of 77. He’s posted double-digit walk rates in each season aside from his 2014 debut for a career clip of 10.8%, though he’s also struck out in 29.7% of his plate appearances. The overall production is inconsistent from year to year, as Perez has thrice finished a season with a wRC+ above 100 but also been below 60 in four seasons.
Defensively, Perez has 79 DRS since his 2014 debut, tops in the majors in that stretch, while his framing is in the top ten at FanGraphs. Injuries are a concern, as he hasn’t played even 55 games in a season since 2019. His 2022 season with the Pirates was wiped out after just 21 contests due to hamstring surgery.
Barnhart, 32 next month, provides a less extreme profile than the others on this list. He’s hit .245/.320/.360 in his career for a wRC+ of 80. He’s never posted a wRC+ higher than 90 but he’s also never finished below 63, apart from his brief debut in 2014. That 63, however, was just this past season with Detroit, when he batted .221/.287/.267.
On the glove side, Barnhart has 12 DRS for his career. That’s well behind Hedges and Perez but still above-average. FanGraphs has graded his framing as poor on the whole, but it bottomed out in 2018 and was above-average in next three seasons before dipping just below in 2022. Although defensive metrics don’t paint him as a lights-out defender, Barnhart has won a pair of Gold Gloves, including in 2017 when he nabbed a league-leading 44% of runners who attempted to swipe a base on his watch.
Alfaro, 30 in June, was once considered one of the top prospects in baseball, with his ability to provide a power bat from the catching position his standout tool. Some of that power has shown up, as he’s hit 47 home runs in 478 games, roughly three seasons’ worth. However, his flaws in other areas have largely gotten in the way. He has -17 DRS in his career so far and below-average framing. He’s also struck out in 34.1% of his plate appearances, negating a lot of the value he provides by actually launching the ball over the fence. His career batting line is .256/.305/.396 for a wRC+ of 89.
Depth/Backup Types
There are a few other free agent backstops, though they aren’t likely to move the needle too much, most likely to be signed as backups or depth options. They include Curt Casali, Robinson Chirinos, Kevin Plawecki, Austin Romine and Sandy León.
Trade Candidates
Blue Jays
The Jays have been expected to trade from their catching surplus at some point this winter, though they’ve yet to pull the trigger. It was reported a couple of weeks ago that they were planning to wait until some of the top free agents were signed before focusing on trading one of their backstops. That’s now come to pass, and the club has also dealt with other matters by signing Chris Bassitt and Kevin Kiermaier, so perhaps a trade is now top of the agenda.
The fact that they are considering a trade is perfectly logical, given that they have three quality backstops. Gabriel Moreno is considered the No. 3 prospect in the game by both Baseball America and FanGraphs. The club has given some thought of moving him to third base or left field in order to get him into the lineup, but that wouldn’t be the best use of his talents. His power is generally considered the weakest part of his game, with his defense and contact skills the highlights. He spent most of 2022 in Triple-A but made his MLB debut late in the season, hitting .319/.356/.377 in 73 plate appearances. He still has one option year remaining but doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors after hitting .315/.386/.420 for Buffalo this year, producing a 120 wRC+.
The Jays also have Danny Jansen, who turns 28 in April with two remaining years of control, and Alejandro Kirk, who’s 24 and has four control years left. Over the past two seasons, Jansen has been a roughly average framer and produced 5 DRS. He’s hit .243/.321/.496 in that time for a 124 wRC+ but has also been limited to just 142 games in that two-year stretch thanks to a pair of hamstring strains, an oblique strain and a broken finger.
Kirk was limited by injury to just 60 games in 2021 but got into 139 contests in 2022. When combined with his nine-game debut in 2020, his career batting line is .278/.362/.426, wRC+ of 124. He has 6 DRS and a 6.1 from FanGraphs’ framing metric. The Jays arguably have three catchers that could immediately jump to the top of the depth chart for some other clubs and should be fielding many calls. Jansen has been cited as the most likely to move since he is the nearest to free agency and will be making a modest arbitration salary projected at $3.7MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
Mets
The Mets agreed to a deal with Narváez last night, adding to what was already something of a crowded picture. He joins James McCann, Tomás Nido and Francisco Álvarez in the catching corps in Queens. Like Moreno, Álvarez is considered one of the best prospects in the game. However, his profile includes better power and lesser defense. He’s also mashed in Triple-A and has made his MLB debut, but there would at least be some argument to keeping him in the minors to continue developing his glovework. Then again, the club could consider carrying three catchers in the big leagues in order to get his bat into the lineup as a designated hitter when he’s not catching.
If Álvarez is going to be part of the big league team, someone else has to go. McCann, 33 in June, had a strong two-year run with the White Sox over 2019 and 2020, hitting .276/.334/.474 for a wRC+ of 114. He parlayed that into a four-year, $40.6MM deal with the Mets, but has taken a dip since then. He hit .232/.294/.349 in 2021 for a wRC+ of 80 and then dipped to .195/.257/.282 this year for a wRC+ of 59. He also made multiple trips to the IL and only got into 61 games. It’s possible some team might take a chance on a bounceback, but with two years and $24MM left on his deal, the Mets would have to eat some money or take a similarly undesirable contract back in exchange. Nido, 29 in April, has never hit much, apart from a brief surge in the shortened 2020 campaign. His career batting line is .220/.257/.323 (62 wRC+). He’s quite strong on defense though, with 19 DRS in his career and above-average framing in each season so far. He has two years of club control remaining and is projected for an arbitration salary of $1.6MM.
Anyone Else?
It always possible that a subsequent signing or trade will turn a new team into a potential trader, like the Mets did yesterday. The Braves’ acquisition of Murphy led to some speculation that they would then flip Travis d’Arnaud. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos insists that d’Arnaud isn’t going anywhere, but he also said they didn’t anticipate a Murphy trade about a week before it happened, so things could change. The A’s grabbed Manny Piña in that deal to act as a veteran backup to Shea Langeliers but it wouldn’t necessarily be a shock to see them flip him elsewhere. Turning 36 in June, he’s making $4.5MM this season with a $4MM option for 2024 with no buyout. The Padres have Austin Nola, Luis Campusano and Brett Sullivan on their roster, but they reportedly pursued Sean Murphy during the 2022 season. If they acquired some other catcher, perhaps they would then pivot to trading one their incumbents. The Diamondbacks could shop Carson Kelly if they succeed in upgrading behind the plate. The Angels were reportedly a finalist for Willson Contreras, which could have perhaps led to Max Stassi heading to the trading block.
Not gonna be easy to move McCann. Suspect he’ll just be DFA’d and the Mets will cover his whole salary. Someone will claim him.
I think the Jays waited too long to move Jansen. Good player, and underrated, but only two years left of control and that means rebuilders won’t be interested. And the super teams all have their catchers, far as I can tell. Or at least their starter. Astros may be their best bet. Honestly, if I’m them I consider moving Moreno if I can get an ace-level young pitcher for him.
if a team claims him are they on the hook for his salary or the minimum with the mets paying the rest?
Just the minimum
If he is claimed off waivers the claiming team is responsible for his whole salary. If he is released by the Mets and signs with another team then the Mets are responsible for all but the prorated league minimum
Correct. A team that wants him that badly would work out a trade during the waiver period where the Mets pay most of the salary in return for a minor league flier.
I could easily see the Tigers being interested. We have two good catchers on the farm in Dingler and Crouch so someone to pair with Haase and/or Rogers like Jensen for a couple of years. We also have some BP arms that could be of interest to the Jays to make that happen.
I certainly could see a team more contention ready or a WS champ in the Astros also being interested. Astros could also be willing to part with pieces the Blue Jays want.
So no, Jays have not waited too long. Plenty of teams out there still wanting some catching help and honestly, they hold a piece that is in more demand than the catchers left on the FA market.
I like the Cubs as a McCann + a prospect or two destination. Cubs need a second catcher to pair with Gomes and have the financial flexibility to take the whole contract. Mets save 45 mil between McCann’s salary and the associated luxury tax penalty.
So many teams still need a Catcher, including my Tigers, so I’m thinking Toronto is still in a great position with their Catching surplus.
Tigs won’t trade for a C unless organizational depth. Harris wants to have a year to assess what they have.
Some talk of KC fielding offers for MJ Melendez, who is blocked by Salvy Perez. I could maybe see it for a pitcher with a similar profile in terms of control, expectations, etc.
Not blocked in LF
Maybe the Astros can sign Chirinos to a minor league contract for depth in case of injury.
If you want depth sign Perez. Chineros must be 40 years old.
The catcher whose willing to sign for the cheapest contract will be the Pirates’ choice
Guaranteed
Luis Torrens.
He’s a much better hitter than Heineman or Delay. Why not? Perfect placeholder.
I like and agree with your Torrens suggestion for the Pirates, BudgetBall.
Thanks, @GreatBaseball. Torrens hit 16 doubles and 15 HRs with 47 rbi and .243 ba in 2021. If the Bucs sign him, he may be hard to give up.
Truly think it’s a very good fit and price point for both Torrens and the Pirates. Cracking work, GM BudgetBall 🙂
I’m not disagreeing BudgetBall but Cherington recently said there’s very little money left to spend
How much do you think it would take to sign Torrens?
1-2 million for 2023. My not asked for two cents 🙂
@ The man: He made $1.2mil last season in Seattle in his 1st year of arb, but then DFA’d in August. I guess he’s an UFA now. I can’t imagine that he’d be too expensive, even for our Buccos.
@TheMan 3 Where can I find Cherington saying this? Would be interesting to hear because that’s not something a Pirates executive would say.
I didn’t care who answered my question, this is a baseball forum
If he can be signed for that amount, I say, yes!
A Delay/Heineman or one and Pérez, who’s injury prone, any of those combinations will digress the team’s offense.
I’m going to throw something out there, and it won’t be pretty
Tyler Heineman was the most recent Pirate signing while BC hasn’t done squat since, even with the selection of catchers minimizing
Which suggests they’ll be taking their annual dumpster diving techniques after all of the better offensive catchers are gone
It sounds pessimistic but unfortunately this is how they operate
Very true, TheMan 3. Torrens would be a nice signing for the Pirates as BudgetBall identified.
I hate to say it but Gary Sanchez has no realistic place on a major league roster. He’s become the epitome of guys who can hit double digit home runs and offer absolutely nothing else.
Remember Chris Carter, the guy who hit 41 HR’s one year and barely batted above .200 and offered no other value beyond the raw power he could only muster a 1 year/$3M flier from the Yankees and he couldn’t recapture that power.
Gary Sanchez dropped off from that level of value a few years ago and that’s the most comparable situation to his.
I cannot imagine a team that could justify giving Sanchez a roster spot or a starting spot, even if a primarily as a DH.
Like seriously, who *needs* him?
A legitimate portion of media in the not so distant past used to practically be fueled by Gary Sánchez discourse and now he’s a free agent and absolutely no one seems to care and that’s funny to me.
What in the Rob Deer do you mean lol
*Wilin Rosario
Yazmani, anyone?
Only if the White Sox are paying all of his remaining salary
I think AA is saying no, but I also think he is on the lookout for help in two areas depending on Swanson. I saw where two players this year took less than they could have received because they were comfortable where they were at. Personally, I haven’t made a million dollars in my lifetime and I have a good life. I really do not understand Dansby, think it’s called greed. I’m sure he could get the Braves up to 120 million, how much money does he and Freddy need?
People complain about salaries all the time & usually the #1 response is “market value”. I offer another response/reason that is hardly ever mentioned…The Players Association will throw a fit if a player ever said, “I don’t need too much money”.
Jacob Stallings a trade candidate?
His very poor 2022 performance I would think they would listen on him. Not sure if Miami’s internal options are viable?
If I waa Miami I would keep him. Don’t think he would bring back a key piece. I thought he would be their guy so surprised to see them in this article.
probably not bring back much. I’d like to see him swing back around to the pirates.
Stallings for Zach Thompson lol (/s)
Both were definitely better with their former teams.
Nice problems to have, Toronto. I love Kirk and Jansen’s bar, probably in that order.
The luxury of having 2 very good hitting catches allows the Blue Jays to pay catches prices while also saving money and wasting a roster spot on a Full-Time DH.
If I were the Jays,i would trade Gurriel both Jansen and Kirk for young cost affordable left handed bats. Go out and sign Bendetini for LF and sign Hedges at C. Hedges can split time be with Moreno until he is ready and Hedges will be great to have around to catch those new Free Agent arm investments.
This will save you a ton of money, except for Bendi, because it’s going to be very expensive to keep both Guerrero, Bichette, and Chapman.
I thought they should of kept Taoia. I got the Angels pick him up as a back up-pinch runner type of player.
He had some great games last season for Toronto and her is a left handed bat.
Hey guys, I just woke up from my 2-year coma. MLBTR must have made a mistake on listing the Red Sox as needing help. We’ve got our catcher of the future in Connor Wong and obviously Vazquez is a great vet to pair with him.
Definitely stinks to have missed out on baseball for two years, but MAN our top ten prospect list was loaded with up-and-comers. Will be so exciting to see a team full of young talent from that list like: Jeter Downs (1), Bobby Dalbec (3), Noah Song (6), Jay Groome (7), Jarren Duran (8), and Thad Ward (9).
Pair those dudes with studs like Bo, Benni, Verdugo, and Devers? We should be the favorites in the AL East this coming season, right?
If that’s the best you got, go back into your coma.
Boston, we have a problem.
Just when things looked bleak for the Red Sox, they turn around their off season and trade Park. 🙂
To an extent, this reminds you of just how difficult it is to locate, develop, keep healthy, etc. a quality catcher.
I feel like Sanchez and Alfaro are destined for the NPB/KBO. Sanchez is at best a DH at this point and even that is subjective. Chrinos is going to be 39 so he may be unceremoniously retired. Casali was said to be talking to the Giants. Perez probably won’t be ready to start the year. Romine and Leon will latch on extra Catchers for spring training somewhere with no chance of making the team. That leaves Hedges and Barnhart as the best available options as decent defenders/almost guaranteed outs at the bottem of the batting order
You’re right. The NPB/KBO is the promised land for players who can mash a ton of home runs but can’t do much else. Lots of guys who were Quadruple-A for MLB have gone to the NPB/KBO and become reliable 40+ HR mashers and earned very comfortable salaries of $2M-$4M USD per season.
Better to be a valued player with regular work in the NPB/KBO than to struggle for a roster spot in MLB.
Barnhart is worth taking a flyer on just for his defense. Offensive isn’t historically part of a catchers game outside the occasional long ball with some noticeable exceptions. But you stat boys only look at that.
If you’re thinking defense only, Hedges is definitely your guy. Not to mention that he ran into 7 balls which left the yard and drove in 30, while Barnhart only ran into one and drove in 16.
We got him! Really good pickup.
No mention of Rafael Marchan?
I would think the White Sox would trade Grandal and pay a lot of his salary if they got a decent prospect in return.
Sure the rangers could be talked out of one of heim, huff, and Garver. Probably wouldn’t take much to get garver
In the section regarding the Mets, they spelled catching corpse incorrectly.
Pirates have a CF that can hit from the left side that wants to be traded and they need a catcher, the blue Jays want to trade a catcher and need a CF that can bat from the left side. I dont know how they haven’t made a trade yet. Moreno for Reynolds, get it done.
I get that but the Pirates really just need a catcher for one year. Their top two prospects are both catcher, and one of them will already move off the position, most likely Henry Davis.
TB Times Topkin has suggested Francisco Mejia could be traded