Texas Rangers: Who are the best free agent catcher options remaining?

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ARLINGTON, TX – AUGUST 4: Rafael Montero #48 and Jeff Mathis #2 of the Texas Rangers celebrate the teams 9-4 win over the Detroit Tigers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on August 4, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /

If the Texas Rangers are looking to upgrade at catcher this offseason, which remaining free agents are the best options moving forward?

After the Texas Rangers catching crew put out a historically bad offensive season in 2019, the club is likely looking at possible upgrades this offseason. The top catcher available in free agency this offseason was Yasmani Grandal but he signed a deal with the White Sox what seems like ages ago. Other notables like Travis D’Arnaud, Martin Maldonado and Yan Gomes have also already signed contracts leaving the options a bit slim. Still, because of how poor the Rangers were behind the dish in 2019, almost anybody would represent an upgrade. Anybody brought in would likely be to replace Jeff Mathis who hit an abysmal .158 last season with a .433 OPS. Jose Trevino emerged as a legitimate option at the end of 2019 but finding a suitable partner for the young backstop should be a priority for Texas before Spring Training.

Robinson Chirinos

The possibility of bringing back Robinson Chirinos is likely one that excites most fans. Chirinos cemented himself as a fan favorite in his six years with the organization. However, a controversial offseason decision by the front office saw Chirinos leave in free agency for in-state rival Houston, much to the chagrin of Texas fans. For Chirinos, the move was personally a fruitful one as he had arguably the best season of his career and reached a World Series with the Astros. Now, Robby C is back on the free agent market and we know the two sides have discussed a return.

At 35 years old, Chirinos is as productive as ever at the plate posting a .238/.347/.443 slash line for Houston last year. He had a very impressive .790 OPS and hit 17 homers in 114 games. His 2.3 fWAR is the highest mark of his career and would be a massive upgrade over the production Texas saw last year. The Rangers predominantly utilized Jeff Mathis (-2.1 fWAR), Jose Trevino (-0.2 fWAR) and Tim Federowicz (-0.2 fWAR) so anything that represents a positive contribution would make the club better. Chirinos was projected to get a two-year deal at $10 million by MLB Trade Rumors and that mark would be pretty fair. Maybe Texas tries for a one-year deal at a higher AAV.

Jason Castro

Jason Castro joins Chirinos as far and away the top two options still available in free agency this offseason. Castro has spent the last three seasons with the Twins and represents a slightly younger alternative to Chirinos. The knock though in the case of the Rangers is that Castro is a left-handed hitter which Texas already has plenty of at this point. However, at catcher, this concern is lessened because Castro and Trevino could split time revolving heavily around whether Texas is facing a lefty or righty on the mound that day.

Castro posted a 1.6 fWAR last season in 79 games and showed some impressive pop with 13 home runs. His .767 OPS isn’t quite to the level of Chirinos but it far exceeds what the Rangers saw last season. What Castro lacks in offense compared to Chirinos he makes up for with his glove finishing 26th among catchers in Fielding Runs Above Average last season at 3.5 according to Baseball Prospectus. Considering Jeff Mathis was brought in to be a defensive catcher and how poor his defensive metrics have actually been, Castro would be a massive upgrade on both sides of the ball. Castro also would be a better candidate for a multi-year deal if Texas believes he can form a solid tandem with Jose Trevino.

Russell Martin

Russell Martin, like Chirinos, represents a more veteran option who could be effective on a short term deal. Like Castro, he’d be a massive upgrade defensively while putting up respectable offensive numbers. He spent 2019 with the Dodgers, playing 83 games, 60 of which were behind the plate. He hit .220 with a .667 OPS meaning he wouldn’t quite be the influence at the plate that Chirinos or Castro would be. However, defensively he was superb last season, helping him to a 1.2 fWAR, the 14th straight season he’s posted fWAR of 1.0 or better.

Martin finished 17th among catchers in FRAA in 2019 at 6.2, edging out the aforementioned Jason Castro. He’s a right-handed hitter which adds a little value for the Rangers and would be a good candidate on a one-year deal to help give the club more time to find a long-term solution. The question for a guy like Martin is whether he’d come to a team like Texas that could compete, but isn’t really a contender at this point when he’s in this stage of his career. He’s likely to draw interest from legit contenders and whereas Chirinos could forego contending to come back to a club where he’s loved, there is no such connection for Martin.

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If the Texas Rangers are looking to upgrade at catcher this offseason, which remaining free agents are the best options moving forward?

Robinson Chirinos

Jason Castro

Russell Martin

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