2022 Cleveland Guardians trade targets: catcher edition

The Cleveland Guardians could use some depth at the catcher position while they wait for a few top prospects to develop, so who is out there on the trade market?

Hello, ABG readers! For my maiden foray on the site I decided to take a look at a number of potential trade target candidates that our Cleveland Guardians could/should look into. Having a deep appreciation for those who don the Tools of Ignorance, the catcher position just seemed like a perfect fit.

Before we get started, let me also put out this caveat – this is by no means a complete list. The basis for inclusion on this list is three-fold:

• The player’s current club has a logjam of catchers on their current roster
• Said club also has a highly regarded catching prospect in their system who appears ready to contribute in 2022
• Said catcher has some level of controllability

Oh yeah, and all these players who made the list would likely look to start the season splitting time with incumbent Austin Hedges, but would certainly provide more than the current slate of recycled veterans available on the market. They’d also provide insurance should one of the Guardians’ top two catching prospects (Bo Naylor and Bryan Lavastida) fail to live up to expectations over the next three or four seasons.

So without further ado, let’s dive into this.

2022 Cleveland Guardians trade targets: Catcher edition

Danny Jensen or Reese McGuire (Toronto Blue Jays)

If the Guardians have a logjam at 2B/SS, just wait until you see what Toronto is dealing with at catcher. Not only do they have Jensen and McGuire, but they also have Alejandro Kirk and highly regarded prospect Gabriel Moreno, all of whom are currently on their 40-man roster. What they don’t have is the depth of pitching needed for a full season and deep playoff run. So as Terry Francona loves to say, “When you think you have enough pitching go out and get some more.”

Enter the Guardians. Last draft the team selected nineteen pitchers, the current depth chart has seven or eight legitimate starters, and the minor league affiliates (especially Columbus, Akron, and probably Lake County) should see a number of highly regarded prospects coming through this season.

Now I’m not suggesting the team trade away any top-level prospects; Jensen and McGuire both project more of a situation where they would be splitting time with Hedges. However, trading away a pitcher for back-of-the-rotation/bullpen depth would be something I’m sure the Blue Jays would consider.

Of the two, I would focus more on McGuire. The 2022 season will see him playing his age-27 season, making the league minimum. That’s followed by three more season of control with the current arbitration setup. Should anything go wrong with the development of our current catching prospects, McGuire could fill in nicely; for his career he has slashed .248/.297/.390.

William Contreras (Atlanta Braves)

Some fans may get upset that I’ve decided to target William and not Wilson Contreras, but hear me out. Older brother Wilson is about to turn 30 this upcoming May and is slated to make $8.5 million (or more) via his final season of arbitration. Meanwhile, William just turned 24 and won’t even be arbitration-eligible until 2025. He’s only appeared in 56 game to date, but in 2021 he did manage 13 XBH and a slash line of .225/.303/.399 in 185 plate appearances.

So why would the the Braves even consider trading him? Well, for starters they have Travis d’Arnaud, Manny Piña, and Chadwick Tromp on their current 40-man roster. Couple that along with the fact that their number-two prospect Shea Langeliers is waiting in the wings in Triple-A and it makes sense.

If the Braves want to repeat as World Series champs, they again similar to Toronto, they would likely want to add some pitching depth or potentially a middle infielder for their bench. The Guardians would and should be able to help in each of these departments. For instance a player like Yu Chang could be a nice compliantly piece to what the Braves already have established.

Victor Caratini (San Diego Padres)

If there is one roster (besides their own) that the Guardians front office knows inside and out it has to be the Padres. It seems like the two clubs have made half a dozen trades over the past two seasons.

Austin Nola is likely to be the Padres primary catcher in 2022, and they acquired Jorge Alfaro from Miami earlier this offseason. The Padres number-two prospect, Luis Campusano, reached Triple-A last season as well. All of this makes Caratini a perfect trade target.

This year will see Caratini playing his age-28 season while making $2 million in his second season of arbitration. In part-time duty over the past five seasons, Caratini has slashed .243/.322/.356.

A quick glance at the Padres 40-man roster and it’s evident the Padres have deficiencies in the outfield as well. Though this could potentially make a trade with the Padres a bit more difficult, the intimate knowledge each club has gained by striking deals over the past few years may mean that a lower-level prospect is all that is required to swing a deal such as this.

Luis Torrens (Seattle Mariners)

It has been too long since the Guardians/Indians took advantage of the Mariners via trade (the jury is still out on the Jake Bauers deal), and I’m hoping this could be one of those situations. Torrens may be my most coveted target on this list; this past season he slashed .243/.299/.431 with 33 XBH (15 home runs) and 47 RBIs in 108 games. He also played some third base and first, as the Mariners looked to gain some versatility and keep his bat in the lineup.

Tom Murphy, Cal Raleigh, and José Godoy are all on the Seattle 40-man roster. They also have prospect Harry Ford, who they just drafted in the first round of this past year’s draft. Torrens will turn 26 early during the season and is set to make $1.5 million during his first year of arbitration.

Due to the logjam at the position and Torrens not being the greatest defensive catcher, there have been ample rumors about his availability. I have to imagine Seattle would love to get their hands on some pitching depth. Not only would pitching help them continue to solidify their place in the AL West, but given the moves/established bats within the division, it will be much needed.