It isn't a stretch to say that the MLB catching market is drier than the Sahara this offseason.
With Travis d’Arnaud and Austin Hedges already off the free-agent board, that leaves Kyle Higashioka, who will be 35 years old on Opening Day, and Danny Jansen (.658 OPS in 2024) as the options on the market. Behind them is…Gary Sánchez? Yasmani Grandal?
The trade market isn't all that more promising. Christian Vazquez is a solid veteran with good defensive metrics, but his $10 million salary and more-bad-than-good bat is going to keep suitors away. If not Vazquez, Ryan Jeffers could feasibly be moved the catcher moved by the Twins, but he's a 27-year-old with upside and two years of team control remaining.
Logan O'Hoppe was heavily pursued at the trade deadline, but the Angels have been buyers this winter and remained firm in their desire to hold onto their starting catcher.
Looking at the total landscape of the league, there's just one team that stands out as having a plethora of catchers that could be available. None of them are surefire studs, but they all come with impressive prospect pedigrees and varying amounts of upside.
The Pirates can rule the trade market for catchers this offseason
The Pittsburgh Pirates look like they’ll be cautious buyers this offseason, with a young core that features center fielder Oneil Cruz, left fielder Bryan Reynolds, and a trio of aces in Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Mitch Keller.
However, Bob Nutting is a notoriously cheap owner, and the Pirates won’t be dipping their toes into the deep end of free agency any time soon. As such, they’ll need to scour the trade market in order to build around their in-house talent.
The Pirates currently have breakout starter Joey Bart (formerly the Giants’ top prospect), Henry Davis (the No. 1 overall pick in 2021), and Endy Rodríguez (acquired in the Joe Musgrove deal) all on their major-league roster.
Most teams tend not to carry three catchers, and with Andrew McCutchen entrenched at DH for as long as he wants to keep playing, the Pirates could easily try to move one of their three backstops. They have tried Davis in right field, but he’s a well-below-average outfielder defensively.
Starting with Bart, the 27-year-old catcher hit .265/.337/.462 in 2024, good for an OPS+ of 120. He posted career highs in every notable offensive category. He remains a middling defender, and he didn’t do great work with the Pirates’ otherwise excellent pitching staff. Still, there are few catchers with Bart’s upside at the plate—even if putting a lot of stock into an 80-game breakout is risky.
Joey Bart's hot start with the @Pirates continues!
— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2024
He's 7-for-20 with 3 HR with Pittsburgh so far. pic.twitter.com/91WlHy5cOn
Davis has long been a brilliant hitter in the minor leagues, slashing .302/.424/.550 since the beginning of 2023 in the highest levels of the minors. However, he’s been worth -2.0 WAR in 99 games in his major-league career, with a career OPS+ of 62. His defensive work behind the plate has been solid thus far, though a 30.2% strikeout rate is going to scare off a lot of interested suitors.
Rodríguez debuted in 2023 with a below-average bat (.612 OPS, 66 OPS+), and proceeded to miss all of the 2024 season after undergoing UCL surgery. However, he’s a great defensive catcher who has received universal praise for his work calling games, and he’s hit 295/.383/.506 in his minor-league career.
There are A LOT of teams with needs at catcher this winter. The Chicago Cubs desperately need a partner for Miguel Amaya, and they look like they'll be active on the trade market, though the Pirates may not want to do business within the division.
The Padres will need a replacement for Higashioka if he walks. The Red Sox need a backup behind Connor Wong. The Rays need an upgrade over incumbent starter Ben Rortvedt. The White Sox need literally everything, including a catcher.
If the Pirates so choose, they could deal two of their three catchers at premium prices thanks to the state of the catching market this winter. It wouldn't be the most glamorous way to supplement a top-heavy roster, but it could certainly put them in position to compete with the Milwaukee Brewers atop the NL Central.