On to 2024: Ranking each catcher free agency fit for Boston Red Sox
Though not the most pressing need this winter, there are some intriguing free-agent catcher options should the Red Sox look that way.
Connor Wong took a beating in his inaugural season as the Red Sox’ primary catcher. In fact, at one point around the All-Star Break, he’d appeared in roughly 20 straight games.
When Reese McGuire came back from an oblique injury, the duties became more balanced and Wong got more time off his feet.
Both are under contract for 2024 and, in all likelihood, will remain in Boston for at least the immediate future. However, despite not being a position of glaring need, there’s no rule against upgrading when you can.
This marks a continuation of my free agency fits series. For those who haven’t seen the previous two, I ranked each starting pitcher in one and every relief pitcher in another.
Disclaimer: As mentioned in the previous two stories, this is NOT a power ranking. These players are ranked based on a myriad of reasons pertaining to their fit on the Red Sox roster.
Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, let’s start with the No. 1 free agency fit for the 2024 Red Sox at the catcher position.
1. Mitch Garver — Texas Rangers
2023 stats: .270/.370/.500, 138 wRC+ and 19 home runs in 344 plate appearances
Garver eeks out the No. 2 man on this list despite being an inferior defender simply because, well, he mashes the baseball.
The 2023 Red Sox did outslug the 2022 team, though only by 15 points despite hitting 27 more home runs. However, to be blunt, the organization cannot win in the modern MLB game hitting fewer than 200 homers a season given half its games are at Fenway Park.
Garver is an immediate fix and honestly could serve more as the team’s DH with sporadic appearances behind the plate just to keep his bat in the lineup. His bat is so potent, even in oftentimes abbreviated sample sizes, that I’d sign Garver and not move McGuire or Wong just to keep him healthier and focused on hitting.
2. Gary Sánchez — San Diego Padres
2023 stats: .217/.288/.492, 111 wRC+ and 19 home runs in 267 plate appearances
Really, Sánchez is ranked 1B on this list because I’d actually sign him with intentions to play the catcher position at a reasonable clip.
I know, I know. The book on the former Yankees catcher is that he’s an abhorrent defender and doesn’t hit well enough to make up for it. Well, to that I suggest looking at the data from the past two seasons.
Since leaving the Yankees, Sanchez has accumulated eight defensive runs saved, 1.8 framing runs, six fielding run value and four caught stealing above average. He’s still a well below-average blocker of the baseball, but he’s maintained a strong throwing arm and steals strikes at an acceptable rate.
Last season, the Red Sox ranked tied for 18th in catcher framing and only McGuire had more than zero framing runs. Sánchez would’ve led the team and been a force in the lineup.
3. Victor Caratini — Milwaukee Brewers
2023 stats: .259/.327/.383, 94 wRC+ and seven home runs in 226 plate appearances
Funnily enough, Caratini actually out-WAR’d the entire Red Sox catching room combined last season.
He’s a steady defender — considerably above-average framer — and a roughly league-average hitter. Moreover, despite not jumping off the page metrically, he’s pieced together a few really quality seasons in a row serving as a backup catcher or in roughly 50-50 split duty.
I wouldn’t target Caratini unless you plan to move one, or both, of Wong and McGuire — which I don’t see being a major priority. However, I could see McGuire potentially being a 40-man casualty and getting non-tendered.
4. Austin Hedges — Texas Rangers
2023 stats: .184/.234/.227, 24 wRC+ and one home run in 212 plate appearances
Jeff Mathis walked so Austin Hedges could run, in all honesty.
Remember how anemic Sandy León was offensively in 2018 but rock-solid defensively? Yeah, that’s Hedges.
And it’s not an indictment on him at all. If there’s a position I’m content with getting no offense out of, contrary to my top two on this ranking, it is the catcher position.
In 2023, Hedges was in the 98th percentile for framing, 90th percentile for blocks above average and 99th percentile for fielding run value. He’s just an absolute defensive freak.
However, I’d imagine Hedges still gets MLB offers this winter despite being one of the worst hitters in the sport. If he’s open to a minors deal, he’s a no-brainer for me.
5. Tom Murphy — Seattle Mariners
2023 stats: .290/.335/.538, 140 wRC+ and eight home runs in 159 plate appearances
On the surface, his numbers are pretty much the same as Garver’s, yet Murphy ranks No. 5 while Garver is No. 1.
The reason for that is Garver’s track record is more extensive and Murphy’s lone great season came during the juiced baseball era of 2019.
This isn’t to take away from Murphy, but that coupled with him being 32 and possessing an even greater track record as more of a backup than Garver. I certainly wouldn’t scoff at the idea of adding Murphy, he’s just someone I’d sign to replace one of Wong or McGuire and not keep in addition to them.
6. Roberto Pérez — San Francisco Giants
2023 stats: .133/.235/.133, 13 wRC+ and no home runs in 17 plate appearances
Pérez’s season with the Giants got cut short when the 34-year-old needed to have surgery to repair his rotator cuff.
When healthy, he’s still proven to be a capable big-league catcher. However, it’s been five years since he last caught more than 50 games.
I’d be interested in bringing him in on a minors deal and nothing more, especially coming off something as serious as rotator cuff surgery.
7. Francisco Mejía — Tampa Bay Rays
2023 stats: .227/.258/.400, 80 wRC+ and five home runs in 160 plate appearances
Truth be told, Mejía has flown under the radar as a top prospect bust because he’s hung around in Tampa Bay for a while.
His status as a prospect years ago is what ranks him seventh on this list, especially considering he’s only 28 years old and catchers can tend to be late bloomers.
8. Yasmani Grandal — Chicago White Sox
2023 stats: .234/.309/.339, 80 wRC+ and eight home runs in 405 plate appearances
It’s crazy to think that the man I once considered the best catcher in the game, as recently as entering 2021, doesn’t even crack my top seven free-agent fits at the catcher position.
Injuries and age have induced a pretty steep decline for the 34-year-old. I still like him and would be open to the thought of replacing McGuire with him, but he’s definitely not the same guy.
On the flip side, Grandal is still a very good framer and did improve upon his 2022 offensive output. He’s hardly washed up, it’s just probably wiser for the Red Sox to look elsewhere instead of using up valuable time and resources recruiting the switch-hitting backstop.
9. Zack Collins — Free Agent
2023 stats: 2-for-4 with two walks and two strikeouts in six plate appearances
Collins has yet to have an above-replacement-level season (not counting his six plate appearances this year) and is 28 as he hits free agency for the first time.
I remember thinking he was going to be a very good player in this league when he debuted with the White Sox in 2019. There’s still hope for him, but he’s likely netting nothing more than a minors deal this winter.
Should that be Boston? I’d probably lean toward no, but depth never hurt anybody and on a non-roster deal, they can release him when Kyle Teel is ready for his Triple-A promotion — a la Daniel Palka with Niko Kavadas this year.
10. Caleb Hamilton — Boston Red Sox
2023 stats: 0-for-5 with a walk in six plate appearances
Short and sweet: familiarity.
11. Tony Wolters — Minnesota Twins
DNP in MLB in 2023 (minors)
Wolters is fascinating to me despite not having an fWAR above zero since 2018.
He offers a bit of positional versatility and is historically, at worst, slightly below average as a framer.
Since 2022, despite spending the bulk of his time in Triple-A, has walked at a pretty decent clip and reaches base to the tune of a .352 OBP.
Again, a minors deal most likely would be the only way this makes sense. But I’m intrigued.
12. Sandy León — Cleveland Guardians
2023 stats: .146/.186/.195, -1 wRC+ and no home runs in 44 plate appearances
It would be a fun, full-circle moment if the Red Sox brought León back as a veteran in camp next season, especially with how well he meshed with left-handed pitcher Chris Sale during their time as a battery.
That’s really all there is to it, however. León is still a very good catcher but, similar to Hedges, just isn’t worth the automatic out he is at the dish.
On a minor-league deal, it would be really fun. But that’s all it should be.
13. Martín Maldonado — Houston Astros
2023 stats: .191/.258/.348, 66 wRC+ and 15 home runs in 407 plate appearances
As a framer, Maldonado hasn’t been one of the better defensive catchers since 2018.
While he still controls the running game pretty well, the 71st percentile in caught stealing above average, he’s 37, a mediocre hitter and likely garnering an MLB contract if he even continues playing.
He’s all-or-nothing at the plate as well, which is fun when he connects, but not exactly what the Red Sox need when coupled with iffy, regressing defense.
14. Carlos Pérez — Oakland Athletics
2023 stats: .226/.293/.357, 84 wRC+ and six home runs in 189 plate appearances
The 2023 season was the first since 2016 that Perez got an extended run at the MLB level and, all in all, it turned out pretty replacement-level.
He posted 0.1 fWAR, a .650 OPS and flashed some pop in a difficult ballpark to hit for power in.
However, he’s 32 years old and likely nothing more than depth at this point in his career.
T-15. Jose Godoy, Tres Barrera and Anthony Bemboom
All primarily in Triple-A in 2023
We were really splitting hairs here with any of these three but if I had to give somebody the edge, it would probably be Barrera because he has the most experience.
However, I didn’t feel there was much of a gap at all and therefore they’re all tied for 15th.
18. Austin Romine — Free Agent
DNP in MLB in 2023 (released by Cincinnati Reds during Spring Training)
Hard to justify giving a contract to someone who didn’t play anywhere in MLB or an affiliate this past season after posting a 16 wRC+ in 136 plate appearances the year before.
Romine became a very quality backup his final two seasons with the Yankees, but since then he’s posted -2.0 fWAR and a 38 wRC+.
He’s 34 so the book shouldn’t be closed on him getting an opportunity somewhere, but he’s someone I’d consider a longshot fit for the Red Sox.
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