Texas Rangers 2019 Positional Review: Catcher
The Rangers entered 2019 with the tandem of Jeff Mathis and Isiah Kiner-Falefa behind the dish. Texas opted to allow incumbent Robinson Chirinos to walk in free agency, who eventually signed a one-year deal with their rival Houston Astros.
Mathis was brought in via free agency, with the intention of building good rapport with the pitching staff. Kiner-Falefa, after a successful debut in 2018 in a super-utility role, was redirected to a more consistent role behind the plate.
To be frank, things couldn’t have gone much worse. Mathis was brought in for his ability behind the plate, but failed to live up to even those expectations. Mathis had only a 47.5% strike rate when framing pitches, below the 48.4% league average.
Mathis was also -1 in Defensive Runs Saved, which is the first time he’s been negative in that stat since 2006. Not to mention, he was an albatross in the lineup. Mathis slashed .158/.209/.224 in 244 plate appearances in his 86 games played in 2019.
The experiment with Kiner-Falefa behind the plate didn’t even last the entirety of 2019. His season was derailed by an injured ligament in his finger, only appearing in 65 games. When Kiner-Falefa went to the Injured List in June, the Rangers acquired Tim Federowicz from the Cleveland Indians.
Federowicz filled in alongside Mathis for the next two months. Kiner-Falefa missed more time than expected, and didn’t even see the major league roster when he returned from his stint on the IL in July.
When Kiner-Falefa did return to Arlington in early August, he primarily played at third base. He was thrust into the similar role he had in 2018 and only started one game at catcher after his return.
This paved the way for Jose Trevino to get some good exposure at the major league level, who has been an intriguing prospect for the Rangers for quite some time. Some major league experience might have helped pave the way for who could be the primary catcher for Texas in 2020.
Trevino’s defensive ability has seldom been questioned, but his deficiencies at the plate have kept him away from the major league roster longer than expected. Trevino showed signs of maturity at the plate in 2019, which helps plead his case for a much larger role in 2020. His defense shined as well, throwing out 44% of runners trying to steal in 16 attempts. It’s a small sample size, but it’s a positive one.
2020 Outlook
Projected starter: Jose Trevino
Internal Options: Jeff Mathis
Offseason Priority: HIGH
The Rangers plan on expanding payroll and competing for a playoff spot in 2020. Catcher has to be an area where they turn over a lot of stones in an attempt to upgrade. While it’s not as critical as addressing starting pitching and third base, a strong argument could be made that it’s next on Jon Daniels' list of needs.
Jose Trevino has set himself up for the lion’s share of starts behind the plate. Jeff Mathis is in the final year of his two-year contract, which carries a value of $3 million in 2020. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will potentially serve in the utility role along with Danny Santana.
While catchers aren't ripe for the plucking, there are some options in free agency. Yasmani Grandal highlights this year’s free agent class, but will more than likely be out of the Rangers’ price range with the primary focus going elsewhere on the roster.
A potential reunion with Robinson Chirinos would be intriguing, but don’t expect Houston to let him walk like Texas did a season ago. Veterans like Jason Castro and Travis d’Arnaud are also high profile free agent catchers.
Of course, the Rangers could look at the trade market for catching depth. It’s unlikely, however, that the Rangers would give away pieces of their farm system for a position that isn’t the greatest need. The Rangers will be cognizant of depleting their farm system to upgrade, unless it's to acquire controllable players. Jon Daniels is currently at the GM Meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona, getting a feel for what teams he could find as a trade parter.
The Rangers have a highly-ranked catching prospect in Sam Huff, but will more than likely not see the major league roster until 2021.
If the Rangers can’t find the right fit externally, the tandem of Trevino and Mathis will be what Texas rolls out in late March. Trevino’s upside is something to watch for, but it sure isn’t an overwhelming duo.
Texas shouldn't feel pressure to sign a high-profile catcher to a long-term contract. With Sam Huff getting closer to being ready for the major leagues, they only need to address the position with a short-term upgrade primarily for the upcoming season.
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