What are the Arizona Diamondbacks’ options at backup catcher?

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has made clear that the team is looking for a catcher to back up Gabriel Moreno, who is expected to start 110-120 games. (Moreno’s 41-game absence with a mid-season hand injury provides a reminder of how important this position is.) Given that the D-backs sent Seby Zavala to the Seattle Mariners as part of the Eugenio Suárez trade, it makes sense they’ll be looking to add depth.

Recently, the D-backs signed catcher Ronaldo Hernández to an MiLB contract, but given that he has yet to play an MLB game, it seems unlikely he will break Spring Training with the team. On top of that, the D-Backs would need to add him to the 40-man roster. Additionally, the farm system does not have any candidates who are near-MLB ready.

In exploring this question, it’s worthwhile to survey the D-backs’ current backup catcher along with some of the best available free-agents to see if any would be a good fit. Given the additions of Suárez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the lineup, whether the backup catcher bats from the left or right side has become less important.

I should add that my thinking on backup catchers in general is influenced by Tim Brown and Erik Kratz’s book “The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game.” Their primary thesis is that a player becomes a backup catcher largely due to a lack of offensive skills. “Because backup catchers also strain to hit .210,” Brown and Kratz write, “because if they hit .250 they wouldn’t be backup catchers.”

In other words, the D-backs will probably not be looking for a power bat in a backup catcher; rather, the position requires a different set of skills, which mostly involve supporting pitching staff. Some above-average offense is an added bonus.

José Herrera

Let’s start with the familiar, José Herrera, who signed with the D-backs in 2013 and is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster.

In 2023, he started 36 games for the D-backs but did not bring much in terms of offense, finishing the season with a .208/296/.257 slashline and an OPS+ of 54. (In fairness, that marked an improvement of his career 43 OPS+.) Perhaps more concerning, he has yet to homer at the MLB level.

Herrera was not effective during Moreno’s absence and was sent to Triple-A Reno after the acquisition of Seby Zavala. However, since Zavala was ineligible for the postseason, Herrera returned to Phoenix in October though he saw limited play.

It’s worth sharing some highlights:

On the plus side, the 26 year old has solid defensive numbers, he has one option remaining, and he’s a switch hitter. But he’s been with the organization for a long time and may have hit his ceiling.

Tucker Barnhart

Tucker Barnhart probably did not have the 2023 he’d hoped for. Last winter, the Chicago Cubs signed him to a two-year, $6.5 million contract. However, Barnhart found himself struggling for playing time behind Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya. He appeared in only 44 games.

Making matters worse, the 33-year-old lefty also had a strikeout problem (34.1%), which left him with a slashline of .202/.285/.257 (48 OPS+) in the second of two down years. His career slashline is .243/.319/.356 (80 OPS+).

He was DFA’d in August and finished the season in the Dodgers’ MiLB system. Still, here he is in action:

Barnhart’s defensive background is solid, as in two Gold Gloves solid, if declining a bit. His pitch framing is good, but his caught-stealing rates are down.

In case you’re interested, Barnhart’s got an interesting sample size at Chase Field: 14 games in which he earned an OPS+ of 75. So not awesome, but it could be worse. Ari Alexander has reported the D-backs are interested in Barnhart (as are the Houston Astros).

By the way, the Cubs must still pay his $3.25 million salary, less the prorated league minimum.

Curt Casali

The former Cincinnati Red, Curt Casali, is 35 and has spent 10 years in MLB. Last year, he was on a one-year, $3.25 million contract before suffering a foot injury that ended his season in July. He got just 96 PAs in 2023. Throughout his career, Casali’s not been an especially strong hitter (career 88 OPS+), but he’s also got a career OBP of .318.

He doesn’t have many 2023 highlights, but here are a few of them.

As a defender, Casali is fine — nothing too remarkable, but the experience is there.

In terms of Chase Field, he’s played eight games there, and, granted it’s a small simple size, but he has a 232 OPS+. (He had seven hits in 19 ABs.)

Andrew Knizner

Andrew Knizer spent his career in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system since being drafted in 2016. Given that he was playing, first, behind Yadier Molina and, then, Willson Contreras, Knizer did not had many opportunities. The 29 year old slashed .241/.288/.424 and hit 10 homers in 70 games, an improvement over his previous offensive numbers.

It’s open to debate, however, if serving as a backup catcher would be a good fit for Knizer given his relative youth and experience.

Still, take a look.

He’s played six games at Chase Field in which he earned a 239 OPS+.

Defense is not his calling card (he has below-average framing). That said, he spent part of his career under the tutelage of Molina, which is no small thing.

In January 2023, he avoided arbitration with the Cardinals by agreeing to a $1.1 million contract; he was nontendered in November and is expected to earn around $2 million in 2024.