Angels Rumors: 3 free agent catchers to consider

The Angels will need a starting catcher if Max Stassi is forced to miss time, and there are plenty of free agents to choose from.

With Monday’s announcement of an expected 162-game season, teams like the Angels can be more aggressive in their offseason moves. One area GM Perry Minasian is reportedly looking to improve is the catcher position.

As of today, the Angels have two catchers on the active roster, Max Stassi and Anthony Bemboom. The combination is solid in terms of run prevention, but neither offers much on offense. While Stassi put up his best career numbers at the plate last summer (.278 BA 7 HR 20 RBI .886 OPS), he could miss the start of the 2021 season following hip surgery.

Hoping Stassi can duplicate his offensive success while coming back from an injury of that nature might be asking for much. Los Angeles is better suited to bring in another proven catcher if they can. Aside from production, this could also attract free-agent pitchers like Trevor Bauer.

Last week the Angels were also reportedly interested in Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. That trade would be an improvement on offense and defense, but it probably means parting ways with promising young talent.

It’s possible Minasian can bring in a solid catcher from the outside, without impacting the future of the organization. Luckily, the traditionally slow offseason has moved even slower. As of Monday, there was roughly 88 percent of free agents still available.

You don’t have to be a numbers-guy, or baseball insider, in assuming that means there are still viable catching options in that group of unsigned free agents. The Angels have some options to choose from.

Is it possible Albert Pujols recruits Yadier Molina to the Angels?

The Mets signing James McCann to a 4-year, $40.6 million deal gives a general idea of the catching free-agent market. The biggest available name is J.T. Realmuto, who some are projecting to break AAV records. If the Angels don’t want to break their bank completely but are still willing to spend, Yadier Molina is someone they may consider.

The 38-year old Molina is projected to sign a deal in the one-year $10 million range next season with options for a second year. After 17 seasons in the big leagues, he’s no spring chicken, but still one of baseball’s smartest players on the field.

Offensively, Molina hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers the last five seasons, but he’s got a knack for being an annoyingly tough out. He rarely strikes out and is one of the best at using the entire field as a hitter.

Yadier Molina Last Five Seasons:

• 2016: (147 games) .307 BA 8 HR 58 RBI .787 OPS
• 2017: (136 games) .273 BA 18 HR 82 RBI .751 OPS (All-Star)
• 2018: (123 games) .261 BA 20 HR 74 RBI .750 OPS (All-Star)
• 2019: (113 games) .270 BA 10 HR 57 RBI .711 OPS
• 2020: (42 games) .262 BA 4 HR 16 RBI .662 OPS

Early in the offseason, there were rumblings of Molina upset with the Cardinals. His older brother, Bengie Molina went on a podcast to say Yadi wanted to feel “appreciated”.

Since then, both the Cardinals and Molina have seemed to resolve whatever bad-feelings they had with one another. Now there’s optimism that both sides will reach an agreement sooner than later.

It would be a tough sell to pry away Molina from St. Louis. Maybe he can be bought with a bigger contract, though it’s probably not worth overpaying a player of his age even if he is one of baseball’s greatest catchers.

One person who could step in to recruit Molina to the Halos is his former teammate, Albert Pujols. There haven’t been any official reports of this, I’m purely speculating here.

Pujols and Molina went to the postseason in five of their eight seasons together in St. Louis where they won two-World Series titles. That’s a special bond the pair has together.

The duo is entering the twilight years of their baseball careers, could that bond be enough where they ride off into the Los Angeles sunset together? Probably not, but it’s nice to think about.

Kurt Suzuki is an affordable option who might be the best fit for the Angels.

Whenever he decides to hang up his spikes, Kurt Suzuki will finish his career as one of the most underrated ballplayers this game has seen. Not only would the Angels save money by signing Suzuki, they also get solid production as well.

The 37-year old has spent 14 big league seasons behind the plate and is a respected player throughout the league. Suzuki’s offensive numbers aren’t near the level or potential of a Contreras or Realmuto, but they’re still solid have kept him around this long.

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Kurt Suzuki Last Five Seasons:

• 2016: (106 games) .258 BA 8 HR 49 RBI .704 OPS
• 2017: (81 games) .283 BA 19 HR 50 RBI .887 OPS
• 2018: (105 games) .271 BA 12 HR 50 RBI .776 OPS
• 2019: (85 games) .264 BA 17 HR 63 RBI .809 OPS
• 2020: (33 games) .270 BA 2 HR 17 RBI .745 OPS

At this point in his career, Suzuki probably won’t give teams a full-season workload behind the dish, but it’s possible you can platoon him when Stassi is ready to return. A price range of one-year, ~$5million is likely for the veteran catcher in 2021.

For those who value intangibles over analytics, Suzuki is at the top of the list in that department. Suzuki has seen a lot in his nearly decade and a half behind the plate in the big leagues and was a key member of the 2019 Nationals team who won the World Series.

He’s far from flashy, but Suzuki is the ultimate professional who could help the growth of the starting rotation. Maddon has a history of relying on veteran catchers, so this move is right up his alley.

The cost-effective signing also leaves some room in the budget to allocate funds elsewhere which is something to consider.