Diamondbacks 2024 Camp Battles: Backup Catcher

The fourth camp battle we're highlighting here at Inside the Diamondbacks is the backup catcher battle. The D-backs are set with their starter, with Gabriel Moreno coming off a very strong first season in 2023. General manager Mike Hazen said at the Winter Meetings they expect 110-120 starts from Moreno behind the plate in a healthy season. So the question is who will handle the other 40-50 starts behind the plate?

Arizona only has one other catcher on their 40-man roster, Jose Herrera, who has yet to establish himself as a capable backup in two seasons. They've invited five non-roster catchers to Spring Training, although the only player with a realistic shot is minor league signing Tucker Barnhart. Barnhart is a two-time Gold Glove winner with the Cincinnati Reds in the 2010s, but his bat has disappeared over the past two seasons.

Prospects Adrian Del Castillo and J.J. D'Orazio were invited to camp, with the former spending time with Triple-A Reno last season. Neither player grades well defensively plus the team might be loath to have two relatively inexperienced catchers on the roster at the same time if they don't have to. The organizational depth at the position isn't very strong.

Jose Herrera

2023 Stats: 41 G, 120 PA, .208/.296/.257, 0 HR, 54 OPS+; 2024 Projection

Herrera was originally signed by the D-backs in the 2013-14 international free agent class and spent eight years in the minors before making the team as a backup in 2022. He has made both Opening Day rosters in that capacity the last two seasons, but a career .208/.296/.257 slash has the organization looking for external solutions this offseason. While they've yet to sign a catcher to a major league contract, they've signed three to minor league deals.

The case for Herrera simply comes down to roster flexibility and going with a player you're familiar if no one stands out. He has one option left on his contract, allowing the D-backs to stash him in the minors for one more season although realistically there isn't much improvement to be had in Reno. Additionally the team already has Del Castillo and minor league signee Ronaldo Hernandez as their likely catcher options in Reno, there isn't much space for Herrera down there.

The case against Herrera is simply he's has plenty of opportunities to prove he can stick as a catcher and has yet to take advantage. For a catcher with a light stick, the defense is not good enough to compensate for that. He's good at stopping the running game, with a 1.92 pop time to second that ranks in the 78th percentile amongst major league catchers, but is a below-average blocker. 

Tucker Barnhart

2023 Stats: 43 G, 123 PA, .202/.285/.257, 1 HR, 48 OPS+

Barnhart is the former starting catcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 2014-2020, then two years in Detroit. He signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs last winter, but only lasted 41 games before getting released. Despite signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers midseason, he did not appear again in a major league game. That resulted in him having to settle for a minor league deal with the D-backs. For Barnhart to make the team, they will need to clear a spot on their 40-man roster.

The case for Barnhart is the D-backs would have a veteran option with a strong defensive reputation. He is the superior framer between him and Herrera, which will help them break in younger starters such as Tommy Henry, Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt. It's also worth noting that public-facing framing metrics aren't necessarily complete, since there are factors outside of the catcher's control that may carry an impact. He is also a left-handed hitter, an ideal complement to the right-handed hitting Moreno. That would allow the D-backs to pick and choose off days for their starter. He's also worked with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, catching 14 of 17 starts in their shared season in Detroit in 2022.

The case against Barnhart is his bat has disappeared against right-handed pitchers. Against righties, he has a .552 and .508 OPS in the last two seasons. That's hardly an improvement over the numbers Herrera put up last season. Since he's a light-hitting catcher, with a .554 and .541 OPS the last two seasons, he'll have to be a significant defensive upgrade to be worth rostering.

Verdict

The veteran Barnhart makes more sense to start the season, with two-fifths of their projected Opening Day rotation having 25 and 23 career starts to their names. Having that veteran backstop and better framer, albeit with the limitations of public-facing metrics highlighting that skill, would be more ideal to have instead of Herrera to start the season. Since Herrera still has one option left, they can stash him in Triple-A Reno and bring him up or elect to trade him to a team that really needs additional major league ready catcher depth.