With the regular season winding down, a number of teams (and their fanbases) are already starting to turn their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking an early look at the players who’ll be available on the open market. We’ll start things off with catchers. Ages listed are for the 2025 season, and stats are up to date through Sept. 18.
Potential Regulars/Platoon Options
Elias Diaz (34)
Diaz was the MVP of the 2023 All-Star Game, but he’s struggled to the point where that feels like a distant memory. The Rockies released him in August, a move that surprised some but came on the heels of a bleak slump following a calf injury. He later latched on with the Padres. Diaz made enough contact early in the season that he’s still sporting a .262 batting average, but it’s an empty .262 as it’s coupled with a .310 OBP and .369 slugging percentage. Since returning from the injured list in June, he’s hitting .198/.238/.259.
While he’s never been considered a strong defender, Diaz has posted above-average marks in 2024’s relatively small sample. If a club thinks he can sustain those over a full year and bounce back to the form he had prior to his calf strain, he could land another starting job. It’s also possible that his shaky defensive track record and grim finish to the season relegate him to part-time offers or even a minor league deal, however. He’s the most volatile name in this category with regard to his potential contract status.
Kyle Higashioka (35)
Higashioka has saved his best output of his career for his age-34 campaign. In his first season with the Padres, he’s swatted a career-high 16 homers in just 241 plate appearances. He’s a perennially plus defender behind the dish who rarely gets on base, and that hasn’t changed, but this year’s power output could pique the interest of clubs on a one- or two-year deal, despite his age.
Higashioka strikes out too much and doesn’t walk frequently enough, and that’s true versus both righties and lefties. His .223/.271/.487 batting line is one of the stranger slashes you’ll see across the league this season, but between his power and plus glovework he’s been worth 1.3 bWAR and 1.6 fWAR. It’s not out of the question to think a catching-needy club could see a potential two-win catcher here and give him the biggest role of his career. To this point, Higashioka has never logged even 300 plate appearances in a big league season.
Danny Jansen (30)
Jansen looked like the clear top option in this class coming into the season, but he’s tanked his stock with a .207/.309/.356 batting line. That 91 wRC+ is still about average for a catcher, but Jansen’s typically strong framing grades have taken a dive this season, as has his power. He’s hit just nine homers this year after popping 17 in 301 plate appearances a year ago and 15 in 248 plate appearances in 2022. This year’s .146 ISO (slugging minus batting average) is a career-low mark.
Jansen is relatively young and from 2021-23 slashed a combined .237/.317/.487 with 43 taters in only 754 plate appearances — all while playing well-regarded defense. He could still land a multi-year deal based on that track record, but it’s not going to be nearly as strong of one as he’d have managed if he’d maintained his output over the three prior seasons. Jansen has also missed substantial time due to various injuries over the years — broken wrist, two separate broken fingers, oblique strain, groin strain, hamstring strain — and the “injury-prone” label won’t do him any favors.
Carson Kelly (30)
Kelly may have boosted his stock as much as Jansen harmed his own. The former top prospect has long been a terrific defender but looked absolutely lost at the plate in 2022-23. In 2024, he’s lopped nearly nine percentage points off his strikeout rate, maintained a nearly average walk rate and improved not only the frequency of his contact but the quality of his batted balls as well.
The resulting .243/.320/.373 batting line is right on par with that of a league-average hitter and about 10% better than the average catcher. He’s also still a premium defensive backstop, evidenced by better-than-average framing and blocking marks as well as a 26% caught-stealing rate (30% with the Tigers, where he spent the bulk of the season). Kelly’s rebound has flown under the radar, but a league-average bat with a plus glove behind the plate heading into his age-30 season is a recipe for a multi-year deal and a potential regular role in 2025.
Gary Sanchez (32)
Sanchez’s defense has improved over the years. He’s not a liability behind the plate despite still being unable to completely shake off that label from earlier in his career. As that uptick in defensive value has transpired, however, his contributions with the bat have waned. He’s hitting .224/.313/.399 this season — roughly league-average offense — and has smacked 10 homers in 256 plate appearances. Sanchez has spent more time at DH than at catcher over the past two seasons but has fared better offensively when he’s in the game behind the plate.
Jacob Stallings (35)
Stallings’ elite defensive ratings from earlier in his career have declined to the point where he’s drawn below-average marks in three straight seasons. A downturn in his framing metrics are the primary cause for that deterioration, though he also posted well below-average caught-stealing marks in 2022-23. He’s rebounded with his throwing this season (23% caught-stealing). More than that, Stallings is enjoying far and away his best offensive season in the majors. His .260/.353/.450 batting line is “only” about 12% better than average by measure of wRC+, thanks to some heavy weighting for Coors Field, but Stallings has actually produced better numbers away from Coors than at home. A career year at age 34 is going to draw some skepticism, but he should draw a big league deal and receive decent playing time — perhaps even back with the Rockies, as there’s mutual interest in a reunion.
Backups/Depth Candidates
Tucker Barnhart (34)
Barnhart won a pair of Gold Gloves earlier in his career but has seen his glovework decline and his playing time dwindle as his bat has eroded. He hit .173/.287/.210 in 96 plate appearances with the D-backs this season and is likely looking at another minor league deal this winter.
Yan Gomes (37)
Gomes hit .154/.179/.242 in 96 plate appearances with the Cubs before being released in favor of fellow depth option Tomas Nido. He’s only a year removed from a solid season in Chicago, but coming off a season like that and heading into his age-37 campaign, he’ll very likely need to take a minor league deal if he wants to continue playing.
Yasmani Grandal (36)
A plus framer but one of the worst-throwing catchers in the sport at this point, Grandal has been a backup in Pittsburgh and posted a 9% caught-stealing rate this year. He’s hitting .218/.293/.371 with seven dingers in 228 plate appearances. He could land another backup gig, but he’s not a lock to land a big league deal.
Austin Hedges (32)
Hedges is as good as it gets defensively but nearly as bad as it gets offensively. He’s sporting a 23 wRC+ for the second straight season, indicating he’s been 77% worse than average at the plate. Since 2023, he owns a combined .173/.224/.227 line in 353 plate appearances. The Guardians love his glove so much they gave him $4MM and have kept him on the roster all season. He’ll likely command another low-cost one-year deal to serve as a backup.
Martin Maldonado (38)
Maldonado produced only a .119/.174/.230 slash in 147 plate appearances with the White Sox this season. He was better at the plate with the Astros from 2021-23 but still one of the sport’s least-productive hitters in that three-year stretch. Teams love Maldonado’s game-calling and work with their pitchers, but his lack of offense has reached dire levels.
James McCann (35)
McCann’s carrying trait used to be pummeling left-handed pitching, but he’s faded in that regard in recent years. He’s hitting .220/.266/.340 in 218 plate appearances with the Orioles. A minor league deal feels likely for the former White Sox and Mets backstop.
Omar Narvaez (33)
The Mets released Narvaez after he hit .154/.191/.185 in 69 plate appearances. He signed a minor league deal with the Astros and hit .203/.327/.316 for their Triple-A club. Narvaez hasn’t produced at the plate since 2021 and will be limited to minor league offers.
Tomas Nido (31)
Nido just signed a minor league deal with the Tigers. He’s been released by both the Mets and Cubs this season. Like many others on this list, he’s a plus defender with a negligible offensive ceiling. In his past 675 plate appearances in the majors, Nido is a .215/.249/.305 hitter — numbers that mirror his .210/.245/.309 line almost exactly.
Club Options
Austin Barnes (35) – $3.5MM club option
The Dodgers have long valued Barnes’ framing skills, but his throwing has cratered over the past two seasons, as he’s caught just 10.5% of runners attempting to steal against him. Barnes is hitting .261/.327/.306 in 149 plate appearances. It’s a borderline call for the Dodgers to keep him, particularly with Will Smith now signed for a decade and a trio of younger catching options behind him (Hunter Feduccia, Dalton Rushing, Diego Cartaya). If he’s bought out, he’ll get some interest as a framing-driven backup.
Travis d’Arnaud (36) – $8MM club option (no buyout)
The Braves love d’Arnaud, who’s posted a solid .242/.306/.446 batting line and 14 homers in 317 plate appearances this season. Even if Atlanta doesn’t want to retain d’Arnaud at $8MM, they could turn down the option, pay no buyout, and try to bring him back at a lower rate.
Luke Maile (34) – $3.5MM club option ($500K buyout)
Maile is typically regarded as a solid defender but has seen his glovework dip this year while posting one of the worst offensive performances of his career: .157/.255/.228 in 146 plate appearances. He’ll be a depth option for catcher-needy clubs on a minor league deal this winter.
Max Stassi (34) – $7.5MM club option with a $500K buyout
Stassi hasn’t played this season due to hip surgery. His option will be bought out. He last appeared in a big league game in 2022. He’s regarded as a premium framer who has at times shown offensive upside, but he’ll be looking at a minor league deal this offseason.
Predicting the Reds cut Maile loose and bring Barnhart back again om a minor league deal as a non-roster player for the backup.
The only caveat is if they can do it any cheaper.
The trade market for cathers definitley looks like it’ll favor sellers this off-season.
for sure
That’s great because I expect the Cardinals to move a catcher this offseason. Herrera is the most likely to be moved.
I was thinking that d’Arnaud would look good in Cubbie Blue but if I was A.A. and looked at this list I’d hurl that 8 million at him and jump up and down. Looking at these guys and if I had d’Arnaud and Murphy I’d be pretty happy.
Yep Herrera has got to go.
I still don’t get why the Cardinals prefer Pages over Herrera. Herrera is a MUCH better hitter, and Pages isn’t actually as good defensively as the Cardinals seem to claim.
Herrera is a starter. Pages is a backup. Herrera has more trade value than Pages.
The pitchers are the ones who love Pages. That’s more valuable for a catcher.
If cal Raleigh gets pissed he could force his way out of Seattle, but I wouldn’t see that happening until after this offseason
But any player can get angry and want out… the catching market is slim pickings right now
How does that Joey Bart trade to Pittsburgh look now for SFG?
Just one more straw to add on the fire farhan pile.
Yeah but it was bound to happen, he had 3 years of straight terrible offensive production, it was justified to DFA then trade him.
Giants are doing fine on the C front. Bailey is one of the better defensive catchers in the last decade. He’s better and younger than Bart. Bart would at best be a backup in SF.
Bart is a terrible Catcher, and as such fits right in with Grandal and Davis in Pittsburgh.
Were I the Pirates and placed winning games as the top priority, I’d talk to Bart about learning to play 3B. The requirements for a 3B are similar to a Catcher’s as it’s a reaction position, but not as difficult – soft hands, quick reactions (the 3B stares at the plate before each pitch, he doesn’t follow the ball when the Pitcher throws it), strong arm. Bart is still only 27 and is a decent ML hitter. Getting away from Catching may free him up to concentrate more on hitting and produce even more offensively.
Then I’d trade Hayes to anyone that would take on his contract. 3B may well be the least important defensive position on the field. Having a guy that plays it well but can’t hit much isn’t helping the team.
From there I’d try to get Stallings back. Imagine that pitching staff with a legitimate veteran ML Catcher calling a game and playing D.
Don’t know about Endy Rodriguez – haven’t seen him play. But Stallings could help bring him along. From what I’ve read he’s a decent hitter. Could do some part-time catching and DH’ing as
he adjusts to the major leagues.
Blue Jays might take on Hayes. Connection with Cherington, not completely expensive, could play Hayes at 2B, Jays value defense, and they love targeting guys with a mediocre ceiling with the bat. Kinda kidding about the last part.
Samuel- Endy was a very good rookie catcher last year but only hit 215.He did however hit well in AA and AAA the year before.
The Pirates will not be able to trade Hayes because of his back problems.
Bart probably would be better served for the Pirates in moving to first base as there is a hole there now.He seems mediocre as a catcher but has shown power as a hitter.
If that is their plan it should be started as soon as the off season starts.
I thought the same thing about Stallings as you as he had wanted to return to Pittsburgh.He May only have a year or two left but he could platoon with Endy to see if one of them surges ahead.
Finally,I think that they should move Davis to right field to see if he can settle down into being a good ML hitter without the need to concentrate on catching.They have screwed around with him enough.He will at best become a mediocre catcher but his forte has always been a good hitter and has hit very well in AAA.
Has Samuel muted everyone? Who is he even talking to
Not me Mariners. And I might be leading the league in being muted.
Trade looks good. They put him on the market and 28 teams had zero interest in him. 29 teams didn’t think he was anything. No idea why SF dumped him or why only 1 team wanted him other than the best and brightest aren’t interested in being baseball gms. Bart was clearly a better backup catcher than most teams had and better than some teams starters.
They all seem pretty lousy. They’re basically all backups, though I think d’Arnaud and Barnes could be starters on some teams.
avenger – Wait until after next season, The Great Vazquez will be a free agent again!
Love these “Preview” articles! Thanks Steve and Co.!
SD will reunite with one of its former (as of FA date) catchers. Just a question of which.
A 2 year deal on the low end for Higgy or Sanchez? A 1 year deal on low end for Grandal or Diaz?
Fill in gap until Salas. Campy has value still as a young guy with bat potential.
I think they run it back with Higgy, and see if Campy can bounce back offensively. I wouldn’t expect Higgy to replicate his HR numbers next year, but as long as he’s solid defensively and offers enough pop at the bottom of the lineup, he’ll be fine.
SD should sign Sanchez. He was above average defensively and hit 19 HRs in 3 months for SD in 2023. His numbers are off for Brewers because he plays so sporadically he can’t get on a hot streak. He’ll have a good game hit a HR then sit for 3 games. He’s on pace to have fewest AB since the covid season
Great year (again) to not need a catcher via FA. Amazing how pitching costs so much via either trade, or FA, yet decent catching is even rarer for like 20y and hasn’t gone up cost wise.
If Austin Hedges can continue getting jobs, there’s hope for everyone on this list.
Hey, that’s World Series champ Austin Hedges to you, buddy!
Pretty meh bunch. Maybe the Cardinals will get a pretty decent return for Herrera or Pages if these are the alternatives
Marlins need a catcher bad. Herrera for Luzardo makes a lot of sense. Prlerhaos send them back Matz and eat half his salary that would basically pay for Luzardo.
Give me a tough-as-nails backstop who’s in it for the game, not these fragile guys who need a ‘rebound’ season just to prove they can still lace up their boots.
In this regard, hope Os can retain McCann.
McCann was my first thought when I read that comment. That first game of the double header against Toronto when he stayed in with his face swollen was something else.
These are old catchers; better off turning over to a new generation.
Yes, this definitely is not the golden age of catching as evidenced by this rogues gallery of mediocrity. Maybe half of these guys get signed, but you’re right – might as well just use the young catchers in your system who couldn’t be any worse.
All on the wrong side of 30. Not a very in-depth free-agent market for catchers.
I think 8 mill for a catcher like d’Arnaud is reasonable. I think Braves exercise it.
This is a pretty lame bunch. It seems like there is plenty of room for a new and younger bunch of Catchers because I’m sorry to say they can’t be any worse than this bunch can they? If they are it’s bleak times ahead in the Catching profession.
Where’s the younger bunch coming from? Kids dream of playing ss or pitching. Sure some want to be catchers but coaches advisors see that they can run field and move them. Catchers get beat up. So if you can hit it’s better to place you elsewhere to keep healthy.
Austin Hedges is going to end up having a very Jeff Mathis-like career.
He is a better defender than Mathis and the Indians seem to need him or miss the playoffs (like last year)
Whatever team that thinks Higgy can extrapolate that 16 HR pace over a full season is in for a rude awakening.
actually it would be around 30ish homerun pace this season as he has only played half the games this season and considering he plays roughly half a season and has hit double digit homeruns the past 3 or 4 years its not hard to imagine a full season of 16 if he stays healthy or plays a little dh for less wear and tear.
None of the free agents are starters and only Austin Hedges and maybe James McCann maybe Kyle Higashioka would I take as a backup.
Any team who does their homework would stay away from Jansen, Kelly, Grandal and Sanchez, as the only time their team/former team seem to win is when they are on the DL or moved off the roster..
Laugh all you want about his personal problem from a few years back but looking at the list, Reece McGuire looks like a good value pickup for 2025.
Yes and I was hoping the Blue Jays picked him up when he was on waivers or in the Jansen trade.
Very risky but the return on Wong would likely be decent if the Sox think the kid in Worcester is ready. If they do, trade Wong and re-ink McGuire to back him up.
Wong is a very good hitter and a very poor Catcher.
Word is that the Sox would like to move him to another position in 2025.
Wong, while looks flat out outstanding for a period of time, just seems to lose it behind the plate for multiple games at a time to me Dewey. Maybe he has something else on his mind, trying to learn a new pitcher (seems on occasion to align with newer pitcher), but he seems to have periods where struggles with blocking balls, have them just flick off his glove while receiving etc.. ike he’s not concentrating on what’s going on.
There are periods where he’s outstanding, then multiple games he looks truly awful is my 2c.
Samuel and John silver, I was shocked by Wong’s hitting but he tried and is likely at his peak trade value given his still cheap price and control left. I just don’t see his defense being sufficient to play ANY position. To me, the Sox need to build from defense first, pitching second and then third, righty bats.
tired
Agreed Dewey. Lateral move that gave away low level prospect for a guy who wasn’t not only no better, but hit from the same side as the starter, Wong. Another clueless move by the Sox FO in 2024.
They were looking for that lightning in the bottle move like getting Pearce in 18. Who saw that bat exploding like it did? To me, you make that move but still keep McGuire. These young second basemen they shuttled in and out didn’t need to be up together with Wong able to at least cover the position. The Mets are reaping the benefit of the move I wanted in spring training, I never expected Iglasias to be all star quality but he was great in the clubhouse in 21 and I believed he could hold down the fort to be flipped if they were not in it.
Absolutely grim. Snakes are going to get numerous calls on Adrian del Castillo.
jansen will re-sign with the Jays.
NO NO NO they don’t want him and with every grain of sense they should stay away. They will never win with him.
I’d love the O’s to get Gary Sanchez to back up Adley next year, but I am guessing someone offers him a more substantial role/opportunity.
Money & years being similar, I’d take a back-up job on a team I’d like to be on versus a starting job with a mediocre squad. It’s possible, and The Sanchize seems like a good fit for your O’s Floch!
It would be nice, but I bet someone out there offers him a starting job, or at least an easier path to a starting job, and he takes it.
My gut tells me that the solution to the mystery of Adley’s 2025 backup is “Orioles re-sign James McCann for 1 year, $2 million.”
Meh. But fine, I guess.
No love for Eric Haase? I’ll bet he makes somebody’s roster….
Good lord this is an atrocious list. Majority of them are weak offensively and strong defensively. There’s not a single person that stands out as “difference makers”.
One question begs to ask everyone in here: O/U on Martin Maldondo’s 2025 teams? I’m guessing at least 3 teams give him a shot.
No, either the White Sox resign him or he’s forced into retirement. Maldonado has no value to any of the other 29 teams at this point.
Man, half of those guys have played for the Pirates
Cards will probably trade Herrara but it will be huge mistake. Better than Pages. Much better hitter and his defense is ok . They try to say he doesn’t throw many base stealers out but no Cards catcher does that well. They need to teach pitchers how to hold runners on. Teach one of them to play 1B
Herrera has no place to play. Crooks will be in AAA next year knocking on the door and Bernal will be in AA. And of course Contreras is the starter. Turning a catcher into a 1b is silly.
That’s why Herrera should stay as the ML backup and Pages should be traded instead.
Herrera is better than a backup. And once Crooks is ready someone else has to go. Herrera needs to be traded.
Martin Maldonado makes Mario Mendoza look like Pete Rose. I did understand his worth for a number of years, but now his hitting has gotten even worse and he can’t throw out base stealers to save his hide.
Thank you letitbe.
If I were a gm I’d swipe Hunter Feduccia from the Dodgers for a song. They’ve got plenty of big named catching prospects and .300 hitting Feduccia is pretty much the red headed step child in the organization.
Catching stats are so misleading especially with the two-disengagement rule in effect…if a pitcher steps off or throws over for a total of two times then the baserunner came take as big a lead as he wants and literally jog to second base but the catcher gets hung with a “Can’t throw anybody out” tag and what about the pitchers that can’t or won’t hold runners tight or have such a long slow delivery to the plate that again the catcher gets hung with a bad stat. I would be more inclined to look at the “Pop” time and the throw location on the bag instead of the throwing guys out stat… too many variables that the catcher has zero control over. Hitting is a different story, and I think if you had a catcher that can hit maybe .225-.235 and give you 10-12 knocks a year then you actually have something to work with. Framing pitches is a technique thing as is blocking balls in the dirt and it can be improved with good coaching and practice…I see so many catchers that are terrible “funneling” the pitch into the strike zone and instead they think catching a pitch and yanking it into the center of the plate is framing a pitch. That metric will go by the wayside if they ever go to an automated “Ball / Strike” calling of the pitch.
Never forget when Gary Sanchez hit 9 homers in a 13 game span to end his rookie year
Also working against Jansen: occasionally he will play for both teams in a game to help them win. He will start out trying to help one team win, then during the contest he is clearly trying to help the other team win. His would be more problematic if he was playing better, as sometimes playing for the other side works out to a negative for that team.
In short, what I am saying is that Danny Jansen might be a genius, a savant, who has unlocked ways to win that no other catcher is delivering. The metrics to measure how much win probability he adds won’t tell you anything because he’s working too far outside the box to be measured. Analytics just isn’t ready for a player like Danny Jansen yet.
Neo- I seem to recall a similar situation this year but I forget who!
Yuck!
Outstanding class! This is by far, the best year for catchers, of all time! Modern day Yogi Berra’s for sure!
SadMsFan;
Catcher is he most important position player on a baseball team.
Teams with good Catchers lock them up…..and not just the starter.
Blackpink if Herrera is as good a hitter as I believe he’d be a good platoon with Burly. Hitters play and Cards surely need him
Baker can platoon with Burleson at 1b. Baker is a better hitter and Herrera has a lot more trade value because he can play catcher.
Bethancourt’s Johnny Bench imitation with the Cubs may get him a big league deal. At the very least, back at AAA waiting for the inevitable injury. He’s better than a few guys on this list.
I’m glad my Mariners have Cal Raleigh. He’s about our only starting position player who doesn’t need to be upgraded. And maybe Julio if he gets his stroke back.
Gary Sanchez all the way.
Yea I agree Baker for Cardinals deserves his shot too. He is a better power hitter. I believe Herrara is better overall hitter and does have best trade value I agree. I think he will flourish somewhere and Cards will regret trading him
McCann was way better for the Os this season then the numbers indicate. I would love to have him back as the backup catcher next season
Does anyone other than the White Sox actually have any interest in Maldonado at this point?