Many teams (and their fan base) have turned their attention to the offseason. Identifying free agent goals is an important part of that preparation, so it is worth looking at the players available in each position. We will start with the catcher. The ages listed are the 2026 season.
Start the catcher
JT Realmuto (35)
Now, in the mid-30s, Realmuto is no longer his all-around superstar at the top. Still, he is a completely solid starting backstage, as reliable as baseball in the lineup. Realmuto led the Grand Slam with 132 starts and 1151 1/3 innings. In 2022-23, he also recorded the heaviest workload of all catchers, and the absence of only five weeks of knee sprain prevented him from doing the same in 2024.
Realmuto remains an outstanding athlete in the position. He is an elite catch-up defender with an average pop of 1.86 seconds, leading the league. At the league average of about 22%, he cut nearly 30% of his attempts to be fixed. Statcast is growing in his pitch framework and blocking metrics, but the former may take less emphasis on the skills of the upcoming strike zone challenge system.
Realmuto, who hit the right, cut .257/.315/.384 on 550 trips to the board. He played 26 doubles, 1 triple and 12 home runs. Technically, it was his first below-average offensive season since his rookie year in 2015. Still, this was steady production, he fell by September in the form of the 0.266/.321/.403 line before then in the last month.
Realmuto entered his 35-year-old season and achieved good results on his two-year contract. He is now in the seventh grade in Philadelphia. It makes the most sense to expand the arrangement. If that doesn’t pass, he can fit angels, Padres or rays. It can be said that the National has the greatest need in any team position, but his age may not match the Washington Club that has not yet withdrawn from the reconstruction.
Potential General/Time Sharing Options
Victor Caratini (32)
Caratini has been a high-end substitute for most of his career. While he never made 400 sets or 100 starts in a season, he is a revle, with career numbers available from both sides of the plate. Caratini hits .263/.329/.406 when the 660 disk appears, and time is allocated Yainer Diaz In Houston the past two seasons. He is a capable receiver and is good at blocking the balls in the dirt. Caratini’s biggest weakness is his below-average arms, making him vulnerable to injury during running competitions. Of the 64 basic attempts to be stolen, 57 were successful (89% speed) successful.
This is Caratini’s second trip to free agents. Last time he directed a two-year, $12mm deal. He did enough to get a two-year contract at a slightly higher annual value this winter. Kyle Higashioka He landed two years old last offseason at $13.5mm, and he was three years older than Caratini.
Danny Jansen (31)
Jansen is one of the quieter two-way receivers in Toronto early in his career. His tenure with the Blue Jays has been hurt by injuries and despite being healthy over the past two seasons, his numbers have dropped. His defensive metrics have been rising over the past few seasons. He had a terrible second half in 2024, which led him to sign a $8.5mm pillow contract with the Rays. Jansen reached .204/.314/.389 in 73 games against Tampa Bay and was traded to Milwaukee this summer.
There is not much playing time when backing up William Contrerasso Jansen started only 16 times from the brewery. He was impressed at that time (.254/.346/.433 made three home runs in 78 sets), but did not rebuild the value he seemed to have when he was a great start for a year of 24 strolls. He could probably look at a two-year contract, ideally a team that could provide half-rule game time.
Backup
Elias Díaz (35)
Díaz was an All-Star of the Rockies a few seasons ago. Over the past two years, he has appeared in the .204/.270/.337 slash in 283 sets. His arms are excellent, but he has accepted his receiving skills throughout his career and has poor grades.
Mitch Garver (35)
Seattle will end the disappointing two-year free agent deal with a $1mm acquisition to the co-optional payment of 1mm acquisition. Garver was a major contributor to the Rangers Championship team in 2023. The Mariners hope he can carry that power to T-Mobile Park, but he only hit .187/.290/.341 in the 720 set against Seattle. Garver, the main DH in Texas, started 42 games and recorded nearly 400 innings on backup Cal Raleigh This season.
Austin’s hedge (33)
Hedge may be the worst hitter in the Major League Baseball, but his defensive reputation is so strong that he continues to get opportunities as a backup. The Guardian signed him to a 4mm deal during a row of offseasons.
Luke Maile (35)
Miller signed offseason minor league contracts with members of the Royals. He spent most of the season on the major league roster but only played 25 games. He hit .244/.346/.356 on 54 trips to the plate. Maile is a career batsman.209/.277/.320 but has a strong defense.
Martin Maldonado (39)
There are speculations that the 39-year-old Maldonado has retired, ending the season in Padres’ playoff roster with Díaz nursing an injury. Maldonado, formerly a former Gold Glover and World Series champion at the 2022 Astros, built his career from his rapport with his pitchers and gaming abilities.
James McCann (36)
McCann offered him a minor league deal with Atlanta on June 22 when he offered him an MLB opportunity. Gabriel Moreno On the injured list. McCann performed well enough to stick with it and push past backups Jose Herrera When Moreno was healthy, the lineup left. He finished the season with a .260/.324/.431 game in 42 games and may receive a major league contract in 2026.
Gary Sánchez (33)
Sánchez received an 8.5mm contract from the Orioles last winter. He won’t get close to this this time, as wrist and knee injuries limit 29 games. Sánchez hit .231/.297/.418 in the 101 set. He missed the entire second half with a sprained right knee.
Christian Vázquez (35)
Minnesota signed Vázquez with a three-year, 30mm deal. He hit the Twin Cities time.215/.267/.311 Ryan Jeffers On the depth chart of his tenure. Although he remains a quality defender, he has a performance of .189/.271/.274 and may look at the minor league deal.
Club Choice
Tom Murphy (35)
Murphy missed the entire season with a back injury. In late August, he told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the team misdiagnosed the disc that turned out to be a herniated disc. The interview deserves a full read, but Murphy also exploded an external spinal clinic, which the team suggested after treating the wrong disc he called “100% malfeasance.” Murphy said at the time that he had no contact with the front desk since he was injured in spring training and called his injury a two-season, the Giants “an absolute nightmare.” It can be said that he will not return to San Francisco. The team will pay him a $250,000 acquisition.
El Salvador Perez (36)
Perez almost certainly won’t enter the market. Royals have a $13.5mm club option. General Manager JJ Picollo more or less confirms Perez will stick with Kansas City, although they can reach some kind of multi-year deal instead of choosing that option. Piccollo said they have started talking to the franchise idol.
Third/4th receiver
