Braves sign free agent catcher that certainly should've been on Rays' radar

The Atlanta Braves have made an underrated move that greatly improves the depth of their catchers. This signing gives the NL East club a fourth backstop of noteworthiness. At the same time, the Rays have three catchers on their 40-man roster, one of which has never caught a pitch in the major leagues. This has been an issue all offseason, but the Rays haven't found a way to resolve it yet, and they just lost a great opportunity.

Braves sign former Rangers catcher Jonah Heim to a one-year deal

The Braves made an unlikely signing in 2023 All-Star catcher Jonah Heim to a one-year contract. After a season of injuries for Atlanta, they decided to play it safe at this ever-important position. Their current starter, Sean Murphy is sidelined until May as he recovers from hip surgery. The next man up on the depth chart is the 2025 NL Rookie of the Year, Drake Baldwin. The 24-year-old athlete put together a very impressive first campaign as he finished with a .274 AVG and 80 RBIs. Baldwin joins fantastic company as Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and 7-time All-Star Thurman Munson also received the Jackie Robinson Award in their first season in the MLB. However, could Baldwin fall into the sophomore slump?

It's always a possibility as 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, Corbin Carroll started the next season on a very slow pace. Therefore, Braves' management decided to add some much-needed competition to Baldwin's radar in the form of a Gold Glove winner. No, Jonah Heim isn't the same player that he was in 2023 when he took the league by storm with a .258 AVG, 95 RBIs, and a World Series ring to cap it off, but the experience that he brings to this roster is undeniable.

In Heim's 7-year career, he's had up-and-down production. However, the Rangers seemed to tap into something that gave the Buffalo native a jolt. From 2022-2025, the talented backstop averaged about 128 games per season which is impressive commitment and consistency from this hardened position. Hopefully, the Rays can take some notes from this elusive signing and sneak a high-profile catcher into their roster before the start of the season.