For a younger pitching staff -- namely starters Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft -- to have consistent outings, strong catching depth is critical.
Overall, seven catchers were needed to get through last season: Stephenson, Garcia, Mark Kolozsvary, Chris Okey, Michael Papierski, Austin Romine and Chuckie Robinson. This offseason, only Stephenson remains on the 40-man roster.
Offensively, Cincinnati’s catchers ranked 24th in the Major Leagues with a .580 OPS. Defensively and in working with the pitchers, there were mixed results.
Stephenson is arguably the Reds’ best hitter -- he batted .319 with an .854 OPS and six home runs in 2022 -- but can he stay healthy?
The head injury issue is of particular concern, but there are no plans to move the 26-year-old to first base or designated hitter full-time.
Incidentally, Stephenson shared on Twitter last week that he has resumed baseball activities.
The Reds’ budget might be tight once again, but general manager Nick Krall noted there was some flexibility. Adding a decent backup catcher isn’t going to wow the fans, but it sure would help the pitchers.
Let’s take a look at some of the catchers on the market.
.