With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, there are still many moving pieces. Joel Sherman of The New York Post (Twitter links) reports that the Rays, Marlins, Rangers and Diamondbacks are in the catching market, with Austin Hedges of the Pirates a speculative fit. It was reported in June that the Marlins were keeping an eye on the catching market.
Hedges, 30, has never provided much offensively, with a career batting line of .189/.247/.323 dating back to 2015. This year’s line of .180/.237/.230 is even lower than his career output. But he’s always garnered attention as a glove-first backstop. He has career tallies of 83 Defensive Runs Saved and a grade of 77.3 from the FanGraphs framing metric. The former figure is tops in the majors for that stretch while the latter places him third.
Despite that strong defensive work, there would be logic in the Pirates moving on. They are currently nine games out of a playoff spot with a record of 47-58. Hedges is on a one-year, $5MM deal and is an impending free agent. They have already traded another impending free agent in Carlos Santana and reportedly have a deal in place to send Rich Hill and Ji Man Choi to the Padres as they approach the open market as well. With catching prospects Henry Davis and Endy Rodríguez already at the big league level, it makes sense to send Hedges elsewhere and let those two take the reins.
The listed suitors all make sense due to recent injuries. The Rays lost Francisco Mejía to a left knee MCL sprain about two weeks ago, leaving them with Christian Bethancourt and René Pinto as the only healthy backstops on their 40-man roster. The Diamondbacks are in a similar position after placing Gabriel Moreno on the IL about a week ago due to shoulder inflammation, leaving them with Carson Kelly and José Herrera. The Rangers recently lost Jonah Heim to the injured list due to a wrist issue and surgery is still possible, leaving them with Mitch Garver and Sam Huff as their health options on the roster.
Any of those clubs would be a sensible addition for extra catching help, as they are each currently in possession of a playoff spot. Apart from Hedges, some catchers that could be available include Yasmani Grandal, Elias Díaz, Joey Bart, Víctor Caratini, Iván Herrera, Tom Murphy and Omar Narváez.
Someone please take Salvador Perez from KC!
Dodgers could use him as c/dh
Came here to emphasize this.
He loves KC and their $.
They claim they wont trade him but i bet if you toss in a couple pitchers with and ERA ove 6 or a couple guys who showed flashes when they were in junior high you mighy get the royals to change their minds.
It’s Omar Narvaez turn to be traded.
Please!
Cards should trade Kizner while he’s hot at the plate and let Ivan take the backup spot.
Austin Hedges reminds me of Jose Molina with the Rays. Couldn’t hit worth anything, but is great defensively and could frame. Sounds like a Rays think to do, lol.
What I’ve noticed most about Hedges in his time here—aside from his defensive prowess—is that he’s one helluva team guy, whether he’s in the lineup or not.
The guy isn’t stupid and sees the youth movement going on here but he’s someone whose attitude is a real plus
The Cardinals would love to pay down their DH/Catchers contract to offload it. While they are at it add in Flaherty who I am sure would love having Contreras catch him more on a contending team than where he is sitting going into the free agency he has always coveted and planned for. For Pet’s sakes though please don’t trade Herrera.
Oh man I had this same basic thought. When I saw Herrera’s name on this list I thought please not him. I think I’d let a team have Flaherty, Yepez, and O’Neil if it meant them taking Contreras off our hands with minimal salary hit.
No kidding. The Cardinals can’t trade Herrera for anything available right now. He’s worth more than Carlson, and they keep saying the Cardinals are asking for a young, current major league pitcher (not a prospect) for DC.
These teams are just looking for temps. Knizner fits that much better than Herrera.
Austin Barnes is available for a pack of Oberto beef jerky and three Kershaw bobbleheads.
Let’s go Cashman get off your A$$ and make a move. Looking like Cashman sitting down all day and enjoying a box of Drakes Cakes. I mean I love a good devil dog but not on deadline day. Teams asking for a catcher trade Higgy for a bucket of balls.
its beef jerky, bubble gum and three SIGNED kershaw bobbleheads
Bart should be traded. If nothing else to give him a fresh start. His time is done in SF.
Tom Murphy to AZ please
The M’s would be morons if they got rid of their 2nd Catcher. The sad thing is that this Mariners fan could easily see it happening.
What other team in MLB claws their way back into contention by playing their best ball all season for the month of July then trades one of their best hitters over the last 3 mo’s? The M’s are a team that is desperate for more offense.
Just look at these monthly OPS lines- .915 May 1.193 June 1.090 July. His .800 slg in June and .718 slg% in July are unreal. The M’s badly need that kind of production. Cmon Dipoto, Catchers with those types of numbers don’t grow on trees
Like any trade proposal it depends on what kind of a package he can bring back in return.
I have to agree. It sounds like there could be a high price tag on catchers… if we can get actual MLB talent for Murph, I’m willing to listen. We love our Murph though.
I’m surprised that the Herrera catchers aren’t related.
Any of those teams can have Narvaez from the Mets for a pitching prospect lol
What are the Yanks doing they need a LF and a catcher, Pham or Marte , Mauricio and Narvaez for 2 of Clarke-Schmidt / King/Loiasiga / Marinaccio /Holmes ?
Any that doesn’t appreciate how talented Realmuto is needs to wake up. If you can find a catcher that hits over .250 and puts 20 in the seats, you give them $100M.
That’s all these major league teams are trying to find: a good framing catcher that hits over 15 bombs a year. Those HRs, for some reason, tend to come in timely instances during the latter part of the season. I’ll leave it to the saberhawks to nitpick as fodder.
Sean Murphy is hitting over .250 and will hit more than 20 hrs and the Braves didn’t have to give him 100 mil.
AA was a year early on the extension, pulled yet another rabbit out of his hat and got him to sign for $73M. He’s worth $100M.
Joey Bart is going to end up absolutely raking for some other team in the near future.
Mets need to dump Narvaez somewhere.
Narvaez and Raley to Dbacks for top 2 pitching prospects
I want no part of hedges in Texas. He was trash with Cleveland and I had to watch him be useless. Don’t want him anywhere near the Rangers. Also he couldn’t even throw out runners in the playoffs last year
I’m surprised there hasn’t been more rumors of Narvaez moving on. The Mets are obviously selling, Alvarez is the clear cut catcher of the present and future, and (particularly if the Mets pay down some salary) Narvaez should have some value.
Hitting .200 and due $8mill next yr is prob why.. he’s not good
As I said, I’d anticipate the Mets paying down the salary- as for his batting average- he’s literally only had 50 ABs, not exactly a meaningful sample size.
He’s been a better than league average hitter for much of his career and an All Star as recently as two years ago.
I’m not suggesting he returns a top 100 prospect, but he would seem to be an upgrade for several contenders.
No thanks. The last thing the Rays need is another catcher that can’t hit.
That Tucker Barnhart is so hot right now.
Have you guys heard about this young stud, Tucker Barnhart? Lots of buzz!
I really hope my favorite local professional baseball team makes a trade for Tucker Barnhart. He will definitely be a game changer in a pennant race.
Nats could probably stand to part with Ruiz or Adams…
Adams possibly but not Ruiz. Ruiz and the Nats agreed to a long term extension earlier this year so he’s not going anywhere.
Padres have a slightly used Nola they could be persuaded to part with
Ivan Herrera for Shane Baz. That seems fair.
Marlins can use a catcher, but I’d prefer for them to wait until the offseason to address that. They need to get a bat at another position. Not sure what they’re doing since the market has thinned out with the type of players they need (leftside of infield).
Looking more and more like they’ll be looking at Tim Anderson, unless they pull a surprise in maybe going after a guy like Eugenio Suarez.
Cmon Mets. Narváez for any franchises top 2 prospects.
Brewers should not dump Caratini unless they get a boatfull..Remember when we gave Maldy away to Houston