2022 Cleveland Guardians trade targets: catcher edition

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.