3 catching options for Tampa Bay Rays in 2025

If the Rays are honest with themselves, they didn't get the production they were looking for out of their catchers this past season.

Going into the 2024 season, incumbent René Pinto was expected to take the lion's share of innings and games behind the plate.

However, a last-minute trade for defensive-minded lefty backstop Ben Rortvedt gave the Rays pause when starting Pinto, and the Venezuelan catcher was sent down to AAA, not to be called back up for the rest of 2024.

Whether it was a development thing, some untold personality or attitude issue, or something different, the development of Pinto being demoted to not even being the organization's 3rd catching option was one of the strangest developments of the season.

Regardless, the Rays are always proactive about acquiring talent across the board and are one of the most transactional teams in baseball. The likelihood of them running it back with Rortvedt and either Pinto or bringing back Alex Jackson seems low.

Jackson was one of the worst hitters in baseball, posting a 29 wRC+ and posting some of the worst under-the-hood metrics in the majors in his somewhat limited time with the Rays, with a 36.4 chase rate, 39.7 whiff rate, and an 86.7 MPH average exit velocity.

However, what Jackson did really well were things that are a bit hard to measure; game-calling, framing, and establishing relationships with the pitching staff.

Whoever the Rays bring in to fill this void behind the plate, it'd be wise to look for some of those same traits, as that's an incredibly valuable aspect of the game, one that is arguably more important than any offensive output, as the 27 outs they're behind the plate are more important than the 3 or 4 at-bats they take in the batter's box.

With all of that being said, here are 3 realistic catching options for the Rays as they prepare for the 2025 season.

Yasmani Grandal

Is Grandal going to be as bad as Alex Jackson was offensively? Possibly, and Grandal's arm is a major concern, especially as baseball continues to steal more and more bases with the rule changes that took place going into 2023.

But, his framing and status as a veteran presence are both invaluable, and he's going to be an incredibly cheap option for the Rays, which is always a priority.

Grandal can theoretically play against both righties and lefties, as his production isn't great hitting from either side of the plate, although last season he posted a 107 wRC+ against righties.

Regardless, his value lies in his defense and ability to control a pitching staff, which is what the Rays are looking for in a backstop.

Endy Rodriguez

Another former Pirate for the list, Rodriguez is coming off Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season.

The Pirates dealt for former Giants prospect Joey Bart, who turned in a quality season and might be the answer for Pittsburgh moving forward.

They also have former 1st overall pick Henry Davis to think about, making Rodriguez potentially expendable.

He's the type of young talent that might cost a bit more than the Rays are willing to pay, but with the Rays' revolving door of catchers over the years, they could opt for more stability, giving themselves another shot at a switch-hitting option that they whiffed on in Francisco Mejia.

Rodriguez' versatility could also make the Pirates more comfortable hanging onto the Dominican Republic native and moving him to either second or a corner outfield spot, but he has a very contact-first profile that could play well with the Rays other power-first youngsters.

FanGraphs has his raw power at a 40 for both current and future value and his game power at a 30, with the potential to grow to a 45 in-game power.

Rodriguez has hit everywhere he's been, posting solid wRC+ numbers across all levels.

That's something the Rays haven't had in the catching position in a while, and if the Rays feel confident in their ability to develop Rodriguez as a framer or if they're looking towards the future with more rule changes on the strike zone in the future, they could capitalise on a former top prospect without a real place to play.

Yan Gomes

Another veteran from the NL Central, Gomes was released at the end of June by the Cubs following Chicago bringing in Tomás Nido.

Gomes is a nice compliment to Rortvedt, as he has historically hit lefties quite well, posting above-average marks against southpaws in previous seasons. 2024 was a rough year for the 37-year-old, accumulating a -1.2 WAR over 34 games.

Unfortunately for Gomes and the Rays becoming involved, Gomes graded out horribly in the framing department, and while it's difficult to truly parse out game-calling and how a player relates to pitchers, the Cubs' eagerness to bring in an outside option might speak to someone lacking in both departments.

Gomes is the least likely option on this list, but the good news is he wouldn't cost much, and he'd be fine if the Rays are confident Rortvedt can be a good answer for the 2025 season.