Washington Nationals: Three options behind the plate
With Kurt Suzuki hitting free agency, the Washington Nationals are in search of a second option at catcher behind Yan Gomes.
Following the conclusion of the 2020 campaign, the Washington Nationals were left with one major league catcher under contract: Yan Gomes. Nationals General Manager and President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo met with reporters via Zoom earlier this week.
According to Rizzo, the plan is for Gomes to remain the starting catcher in DC. While Gomes has performed on championship-caliber clubs during his time with the Cleveland Indians and with the Nationals, there remains a need. The 33-year-old has only appeared in 100+ games three times in his nine-year MLB career.
Kurt Suzuki has operated as Gomes’ counterpart for the past two seasons. Yet, it seems that Washington is looking to go in a new direction. Suzuki is 37-years-old and has always been more of an offensive threat behind the plate. In fact, Manager Davey Martinez has stated his desire to improve the majors’ worst defense in 2020 heading into next season. Given these factors, it’s safe to say that Suzuki won’t return for another contract in DC.
So, what’s next for the Nationals? Gomes enjoyed his second-highest career batting average last season, at a .284 mark. By all reports, Martinez and the Nats are confident in his offense behind the plate. Washington will look to add defensive help at catcher. With a J.T. Realmuto signing unlikely, and James McCann already locked up by the New York Mets, check out three potential catching options in Washington.
Yadier Molina
While this year’s free-agent class of catchers is thinning, if you’re looking for defensive help behind the plate, there’s no one better than Yadier Molina.
Yes, Molina is 38-years-old, but still considered one of the best defensive catchers in the game. In fact, it’s ok to call him one of the greatest defensive catchers of all-time.
From 2008-2015 Molina won eight-consecutive National League Gold Glove Awards. He won the award again in 2018 and owns four NL Platinum Glove Awards, given to the best defensive player of any position. Add in nine All-Star Game appearances and two World Series titles, Molina’s 17 years with the St. Louis Cardinals has been Hall of Fame worthy.
Talking about Molina’s defensive prowess is fun, so let’s get into some more stats. The 38-year-old has led the NL in fielding percentage four times, caught stealing percentage four times, putouts three times, and assists three times. He also owns a defensive WAR of 25.4, which ranks 18th all-time among MLB players of all positions. Gary Carter, Bob Boone, and Ivan Rodriguez are the only catchers ranking above him on this list.
Molina clearly fits the bill of the defensive catcher the Washington Nationals are looking for. The only issue is prying him away from a 17-year career with the Cardinals. According to recent comments from his older brother, former MLB catcher Bengie Molina, there have been six or seven teams expressing interest in signing the 38-year-old.
The market is ripe for Molina, but it’s very difficult to argue against a 17-year history with one franchise. Anything can happen though, right?
Jason Castro
Next up on the list of potential catching options for the Washington Nationals is Jason Castro. Castro presents another veteran option behind the plate, often more lauded for his defensive capabilities than his hitting performances.
Certainly, the 33-year-old is not in the same defensive category as Molina. But, then again, there’s no catcher in the MLB that lives up to Molina’s defensive prowess. Castro doesn’t present elite defensive capabilities in terms of arm strength or holding runners, but he’s considered a highly valuable asset for a pitching staff. The 10-year MLB veteran is known for his ability to call a game behind the plate and frame pitches.
Castro hit free agency after a split-season with the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. Last season, he hit .188/.293/.375 with two home runs and nine RBIs. These numbers are not ideal and don’t stray too far off his career averages. Throughout 10 years of big-league experience, Castro owns a career hitting line of .230/.312/.390.
On the heels of one of his worst seasons at the plate, the Nationals would be able to sign Castro for relatively cheap. Still, this plan hinges on him contributing defensively and Gomes picking up the slack on offense.
Alex Avila
For the sake of truly exploring this barren free-agent catcher market, here’s one option the Washington Nationals could pursue that won’t necessarily solve the defensive issues. Alex Avila hit free agency after appearing in 23 games for the Minnesota Twins last season.
The 33-year-old owns 12 years of MLB experience with 104 home runs and 388 RBIs. Avila has never won a Gold Glove Award and his career fielding percentage behind is the plate is .995. This isn’t a great solution, by any means. Avila projects simply as average on both offense and defense.
Presenting Avila as a catching option for the Nationals is more a testament to the lack of valuable targets in this free-agent class. At best, Avila is a true backup to Gomes and less of a tandem pairing.
Last season, Avila hit .184/.355/.286 with one home run and two RBIs. He’s always been pretty decent at getting on-base, owning a career-OBP of .348. He also only threw out 27 percent of runners last season.
Next. Three free agents for Nats to target. dark
This option only works if Washington is comfortable with Gomes taking over complete full-time catching duties. The Washington Nationals should avoid using Avila at catcher in more than 50-60 games of a full-162 game season if he’s the only remaining option in free agency.