This text has been excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it in your inbox frequently.
By the tip of the 2023 season, the Rangers sneakily had probably the greatest catching rooms in MLB. Catching coordinator Bobby Wilson ran the cohort composed of Jonah Heim, Mitch Garver and Austin Hedges flawlessly because the trio offered ample manufacturing on each side of the ball.
That group is down to at least one, with Garver heading to Seattle and Hedges leaving for Cleveland in free company. The lack of Garver’s bat will little doubt loom massive, and with each him and a defense-first catcher in Hedges gone, the catching depth chart is now noticeably skinny.
Heim, the 2023 American League All-Star starter behind the plate, caught 124 video games final season and carried a heavy workload interrupted solely by a two-week journey to the injured record in August. Garver began 27 video games behind the plate, and Hedges appeared in 15 after being acquired from the Pirates on the Commerce Deadline.
Heim is an old-school workhorse, however the Rangers little doubt want depth behind the plate.
“I believe that Jonah is among the greatest catchers within the recreation,” stated common supervisor Chris Younger on the Winter Conferences. “He had an outstanding 12 months. We’re so lucky to have a catcher of his caliber as our No. 1. That stated, I believe we now have to proceed to ensure we defend him. We have to hold him wholesome and handle his workload. He is a switch-hitter, so technically, there’s an actual purpose for him to be within the lineup day-after-day.
“However everyone has to bear in mind by way of managing Jonah’s general physique of labor [that] he continues to mature and develop. His recreation calling has improved a lot, in addition to his management behind the plate.”
With six weeks left till Spring Coaching, Sam Huff — who turns 26 subsequent Sunday — is the one different catcher on the 40-man roster. Huff has slashed .262/.314/.462 in 75 massive league video games between 2020-23, however he has by no means gotten constant at-bats within the Majors.
In 68 video games at Triple-A Spherical Rock in 2023, Huff hit .298 with a .947 OPS.
“[We’re pleased] with what Sam did in Triple-A,” Younger stated. “I believe that the one factor that we most likely did not do a ok job of — and a part of it was simply the up-and-down nature of his season — however he really did not catch that many video games.
“I believe there’s extra expertise to be gained by way of simply his general catching. That stated, he might get that within the massive leagues, possibly in Triple-A once more. We are going to see how the offseason performs out. However Sam has put himself in an amazing spot by way of his success and the way in which he performed in Triple-A.”
Whether or not or not Huff begins the season as Heim’s backup, the Rangers will want extra depth choices. The one query is that if that materializes in massive league offers or Minor League signings for gamers to attempt to make the squad out of camp.
The catching market isn’t precisely flooded with choices this offseason, however the Rangers aren’t asking for a lot in a backup catcher.
“We need to make certain we now have ample backup choices to guard [Heim] to present him blows when vital, whereas additionally offering a high-quality stage of efficiency to assist us win,” Younger stated.
