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 2: The Mariners could try and sign Yan Gomes

The Mariners saw a bit of Gomes this season during his time with the Oakland Athletics. Always a solid defender, that part of Gomes game hasn’t slowed down. If anything, he’s using that veteran guile to improve, as the 1.6 dWAR he combined to post this year was the second-highest mark of his career.

He hit better in Washington, slashing .271/.323/.454, before dropping down to .221/.264/.336 with Oakland. Overall, he hit .252/.301/.421 in 2021. The numbers from 2017-2020 show consistency, as he averaged .246/.313/.420 over that time.

Here’s another reason that I want the Mariners to go after Gomes. He’s a good veteran who has been around the block and has been involved in the postseason a handful of times. It’s something that the Mariners need, and who better to get that from than a veteran catcher. Gomes has gone to the postseason five different times (13,16,17,18,19) and played 22 games in total there. He’s also performed while in the postseason, slashing .255/.321/.333.

He’s consistently done well, and it shows why he has been paid well throughout his career. Gomes isn’t going to break the bank, but his $4-$5 million per year is about the floor for what he’s been worth. If the Mariners could get that production from Gomes for something in the neighborhood of 2-$10, then I think they should jump at it.