Mariners: 3 Possible Catcher replacements for Tom Murphy this offseason

During the 2021 season, most fans can agree that it was a frustrating experience watching the Mariners catchers. That was to be expected a bit with Cal Raleigh, who was getting his first taste of the major leagues. Rookies struggle, so his numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. It was the man he split time with, Tom Murphy, that provided heartburn for fans.

After a great 2019, I know I was one of many Mariners fans that were hoping for another strong season from Tom Murphy. Maybe not another .270/.320/.530 line, but a good season somewhere in the .240/.310/.480 neighborhood. Good offense, a fair amount of pop, and someone who could catch the ball. That was everyone’s biggest issue with Murphy. If the ball was coming from anyone other than the pitcher, he seemed unable to hold on to it.

Cal Raleigh is going to be back, there is no question about that. Murphy, on the other hand, is eligible for arbitration, and it will be interesting to see how the Mariners handle him. They could hope that he rebounds a bit, remembering how to catch the ball, and gets back to acceptable to above-average offensive numbers. He had a good walk rate in 2021 (12.3%) but a slash line of .202/.304/.350 left a lot to be desired with just 19 extra-base hits in 277 ABs.

With a lower exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and line-drive rate, it feels like it’s time to look for someone else to sign with the Mariners to split time with Cal Raleigh. Let’s look at three potential replacements for Tom Murphy that the team could go after this offseason.

Option 3: The Mariners could try and sign Manny Pina

We have to start off by realizing that pending a trade or the surprising release of one of the likely-to-sign club option guys (more on those later), there just aren’t a lot of great options this year.

That’s why Manny Pina comes in a number three on the Mariners target list for changes at catcher. Pina has always been a guy with a low strikeout rate (21.0%) and a strong walk rate (7.6%). His walk rate has been better the last three years as well, averaging 9.5%.

He’s good behind the plate as well. Over the last five seasons, he has averaged a 1.3 dWAR despite playing in just 80 games per season (pro-rated with last year’s shortened season).

Although the offense has been a bit below average, he’s been consistent when it comes to OPS+. 94, 87, 86, 98, 94. There was a strong indicator of improvement though, as he had 13 home runs, a K rate of just 18.3%, with a walk rate of 10.6%. He also had horrendous luck with BABIP, registering a number of just .162. That explains the low slash line, which came in at .189/.293/.439.

Pina will give you solid defense, walks, and put the ball in play. If he has an average season with BABIP, raising those numbers to .240/.330/.480 wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

Option 1: The Mariners could try and sign Tucker Barnhart

There are other club options like Buster Posey, Mike Zunino, or Christian Vazquez, but I don’t see their options getting declined by the team. With Barnhart and the emergence of Tyler Stephenson (.286/.366/.431 in 350 AB, and a 1.9 WAR) in Cincinnati, they may actually turn down the team option for Barnhart.

Barnhart had a fair season for the Reds, with a slash line of .247/.317/.368 in 348 ABs. He’s a solid defender as well with two Gold Gloves under his belt, which he won in 2020 and 2017. his team option sits between $7.5-$8.5 million, depending upon unknown escalators. They’re likely to turn that down, leaving him open to potentially joining the Mariners.

Barnhart could be a great option for platoon/splitting time. “Hey, they’re both lefties though!” Yes, you’re right, Barnhart and Raleigh are both lefties. As Stephen A. Smith would say, HOWEVA, Barnhart hits RHP and LHP equally well. Against RHP he was .246/.322/.365 and against LHP he was .255/.288/.382, albeit in just 59 PA. Raleigh actually hit just .168 against RHP and .219 against LHP, so you could almost play the hot hand as the season progressed.

Barnhart would be a nice consistent catcher, both on offense and defense. There aren’t a ton of high-level free agent catchers who will be available this season, but I think Barnhart sits at the top of the list and should be someone that the Mariners target.

Of all the catchers out there, who do you think the Mariners should go after? Or, would you prefer they give Tom Murphy and his crazy eyes one more chance?