Tampa Bay Rays: Five Offseason Priorities
By David Hill
Find a long term solution at catcher
The history of the catcher position for the Tampa Bay Rays is a bleak one. Over their 18 years of existence, only Dioner Navarro made the All Star Game as a catcher in Tampa Bay. John Jaso is the only catcher in team history with a wRC+ over 100 with more than 100 plate appearances in a Rays uniform. Jose Molina was a starter for three seasons, mainly because of his defensive acumen. Still, the idea that Jose Molina could be the primary catcher for any team in baseball shows what standards the Rays have at that position.
That run of futility continued last season. The Rays gave four different players over 90 plate appearances at catcher, and none of them showed enough to give the team hope that they will be a long term solution. Meanwhile, in the minors, Nick Ciuffo is the Rays top catching prospect, but he ranks only 25th among the Rays top 30 prospects and has a few holes in his game offensively.
Needless to say, the Rays quest for a catcher who can actually perform both at the plate, and behind it, is ongoing. The players in their system currently just do not appear to be a solution. The best option may be to find a young catcher in need of a change of scenery and give him a chance. A player like Mike Zunino or Jesus Montero may be worth a look as a possible buy low option.
Even if the Rays were not limited in free agency by their budgetary woes, that market is thin. Players like Jason Castro, who may have been an option, will likely get far more than the Rays would be comfortable spending. A trade might be the only solution, unless one of their prospects blossoms next year.