What catchers will the Houston Astros seek at the deadline?
By Kyle Cardoza
Tucker Barnhart
The Cincinnati Reds don’t possess many notable players. But they still have valuable players, though few are of All-Star caliber.
Nevertheless, the Ohio club has Barnhart, who is a solid all-around catchers in the league. He ranks in the top 10 among qualified catchers in WAR, even though he owns a subpar .697 OPS. That’s because he saves runs.
Barnhart won his first Gold Glove award last year after accumulating 11 defensive runs saved. He currently ranks second among backstops in the defensive WAR, only behind Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Yes, that guy.
Unlike some of the current catching targets, Barnhart has a longer-term contract. He won’t be a free agent until 2021, which could be a good thing for buyers. However, for a guy that has a career OPS below .700, it’s not ideal.
However, the Astros can take a risk because Stassi has improved offensively. Surely, the younger up-and-comer can keep Houston’s catchers afloat compared to other teams in rankings. Meanwhile, Barnhart would provide solid defense.
Like Stassi, the Reds catcher is just 27 years old.
Yet, if Barnhart has already peaked, his contract could be a negative aspect. If he struggles mightily at the plate and loses his defensive prowess, he may not be worth keeping for three years. Nevertheless, the backstop only makes $4 million on average.
The Astros can afford to take the risk in order to improve its defense even further. And McCann sports an average just above the Mendoza line and will be out for another month at least.
At this point, even Garrett Stubbs in Triple-A may be a better option than McCann for the remainder of 2018. But Houston also has to wonder about the near future.