A look at Marlins’ catching options this offseason. And what to know on player contracts
Perhaps above all else this offseason, the Marlins need to find a catcher who not only can handle a pitching staff but hit major league pitching at an acceptable level.
But that’s going to be difficult, just as it has been for the past four years since the Marlins traded J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia.
Clearly, neither Jacob Stallings (.191, .278 on base, 3 homers, 20 RBI this season) nor Nick Fortes (.204, .263, 6, 26) would be appealing starting options again.
And both struggled to throw out runners — basestealers were 58 for 67 against Stallings and 72 for 86 against Fortes.
Stallings made $3.35 million this past season and is arbitration eligible for a final time; he might be non-tendered.
Fortes figures to return; he made $730,000 this past season and remains cheap, not yet eligible for arbitration.
Both capably handle a pitching staff, but that’s not enough considering their offensive deficiencies.
Fortes started Game 1 of the playoffs, Stallings Game 2 of the Phillies’ two-game sweep of the Marlins in the wild card round.
It would be unwise for the Marlins to use a veteran pitcher as a trade chip for a catcher, because the Marlins already have depleted their pitching depth in previous trades, combined with questions about Sandy Alcantara’s health.
Perhaps the Marlins could use a couple of their better minor-league pitching or position prospects as carrots if a quality veteran catcher becomes available in the trade market.
The free agent catching market isn’t particularly good. A look at Miami’s options in free agency:
▪ Texas’ Mitch Garver: He’s clearly the best-hitting catcher available. He hit 31 homers in 2019, 19 this season and finished this past regular season batting .270, with a .370 on-base average and 50 RBI in just 87 games. He played more at designated hitter (57 games) than catcher (28).
He has thrown out only 19 percent of baserunners in his career. Even though he has had durability issues, he could command $12 million or more annually in free agency. Garver, 32, has been questioned for pitch framing in the past but has worked on that.
▪ Seattle’s Tom Murphy: He’s skilled offensively, perhaps only behind Garver in that regard, among free agent catchers. He batted .290 this season, with a .335 on base average and 17 RBI in 47 games.
Injuries have been a concern. He lost all of 2020 with a foot fracture, a good chunk of the 2022 season due to a dislocated shoulder, and managed only 47 games this season, missing substantial time with a sprained left thumb.
At 32, it’s probably unrealistic to expect his durability to improve.
▪ San Diego’s Gary Sanchez: Not the answer, having hit .204, .205 and .217 the past three seasons.
He enters free agency having missed the final month of the season with a right wrist fracture.
Sanchez offers power (19 games in 72 games for the Padres) but hit just .217 (.288 on base) in 75 total games — three for the Mets and 72 for the Padres this season.
He threw out 20.8 percent of baserunners this season. The Mets designated him for assignment May 25, and the Padres signed him May 29.
▪ Yasmani Grandal: He’s in decline at 35 but still serviceable. He hit .234 (.309 on base) with eight homers and 33 RBI in 123 games for the White Sox. But he hit just .202 in 2022.
▪ Milwaukee’s Victor Caratini: A switch-hitter, Caratini does a lot of things competently, but nothing exceptionally well. He was decent at the plate this season – .259, .327 on base, seven homers, 25 RBI in 62 games. He threw out only seven of 51 basestealers this season. At 30, he’s a decent 1A option.
▪ Texas’ Austin Hedges: His receiving skills and handling of a pitching staff are considered first rate. But he’s very limited offensively, and downright awful this season (.184 in 81 games for Pittsburgh and Texas).
▪ The Cubs have a $6 million team option on Yan Gomes, and he did enough this season (.267, 10 homers, 63 RBI) to have that option exercised.
▪ Omar Narváez is expected to exercise a $7 million option with the Mets.
▪ Several backup catchers are set to hit free agency, but Fortes seems adequate in that role. That group includes Martin Maldonado (.191), Sandy Leon (been there/done that), Curt Casali (.175 for Cincinnati), Luke Maile (.235, 6, 25 RBI for Cincinnati), Jorge Alfaro (finished year with Marlins after hitting .146 in limited playing time for Colorado and Boston), Tucker Barnhart (.202 in 44 games for the Cubs), Roberto Perez (.133 in five games), Mike Zunino (.177 in 42 games) and Manny Pina (nine combined games past two seasons).
From a minor-league development standpoint, the good news is that Will Banfield — the team’s 2018 second-round pick out of a Georgia high school — improved considerably offensively, though not enough to be projected as a big-leaguer next season.
A career .221 hitter, Banfield hit .258 (.302 on base) with 23 homers and 76 RBI in 115 games at Double A Pensacola this season.
That has raised hopes that Banfield, 23, could be able to help the Marlins at some point in the next two years — which seemed unrealistic before this season.
He’s a skilled defender, having thrown out 32 percent of base-runners in his five-year career.
At Triple A, there’s no catching option that will help the Marlins next season: In Jacksonville this season, Austin Allen hit .225 in 91 games, Santiago Chavez hit .164 in 53 games and Paul McIntosh .230 in 28 games.
Catcher Joe Mack, the 31st overall pick of the 2021 draft out of a New York high school, hit only .218 (.295 on base) with six homers and 36 RBI in 120 games at Single A Beloit, Wisconsin. He’s years away, if he makes it at all.
Bottom line: The Marlins seem no closer to finding adequate catching than they did when they dealt Realmuto.
THIS AND THAT
First baseman Josh Bell was noncommittal about whether he would exercise his $16.5 million player option; he plans to discuss it with agent Scott Boras.
Bell could opt out if Boras has a sense that a team might give him, say, a two-year deal for $25 million or so. Bell has said he would like to return to Miami even if he opts out; he hit .270 (.338 on base) with 11 homers and 26 RBI in 53 games after being acquired from Cleveland.
“I’m just going to unplug for the next few weeks,” Bell told reporters in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. “I’ll talk with my agent and my family about what happens next. Had a really good time here, but I’ve got to make decisions for my little ones and what not. So we’ll see what happens. But I’m excited for when that time comes.”
Outfielder/DH Jorge Soler likely will opt out of his $13 million player option for next season.
▪ First baseman Yuli Gurriel, shortstop Joey Wendle and reliever David Robertson are free agents and the Marlins could opt to move on from all three.
The Marlins assuredly will not exercise the $10.5 million team option on Johnny Cueto and the $8 million option on Matt Barnes. The Barnes buyout for the Marlins is $2.25 million; the Cueto buyout is $2.5 million.
▪ The Marlins still owe outfielder Avisail Garcia $12 million each of the next two seasons and then must pay him $5 million to escape the 2026 year of his contract.
▪ The Marlins almost assuredly will exercise Jon Berti’s $3.5 million team option for 2024.
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 2:09 PM.
