MLB Network released their ranking top 10 catchers going into the 2019 season, and former Los Angeles Dodgers backstop Yasmani Grandal checked in at No. 3 on The Shredder’s list. MLB Network’s Brian Kenney and Joe Girardi, are also very high on Grandal, ranking him fourth.
Grandal is coming off another solid season with the Dodgers, hitting .241/.349/.466 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI in 140 games. He did struggle in the postseason once again though, going just 4-for-29 (.138 batting average) in 14 games.
The 30-year-old hit free agency at the end of the season and after rejecting a qualifying offer from the Dodgers, he was expected to sign a long-term deal.
Grandal’s market never materialized like he hoped it would, and because of that, he wound up signing a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
With Grandal no longer in the mix, the Dodgers were in search of a new catcher for the 2019 season and at various times of the offseason, they were linked to a number of names on The Shredder’s list.
The solution for the Dodgers ended up being a familiar face in Russell Martin, who they acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for a pair of prospects.
The main name the Dodgers have been linked to is J.T. Realmuto of the Miami Marlins, who was ranked No. 2 by The Shredder. While the Martin trade makes it unlikely, a Realmuto to the Dodgers trade still cannot be fully ruled out.
Despite not having any top-10 catchers currently on their roster, the Dodgers do have a solid defensive duo in Martin and Austin Barnes. Additionally, they have two of the top catching prospects in all of baseball in Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith.
So the state of the catching position in the Dodgers organization looks to be in good hands whether or not a Realmuto trade ends up happening.
| Rank | The Shredder | Brian Kenny | Joe Girardi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buster Posey (SF) | J.T. Realmuto (MIA) | J.T. Realmuto (MIA) |
| 2 | J.T. Realmuto (MIA) | Buster Posey (SF) | Gary Sanchez (NYY) |
| 3 | Yasmani Grandal (MIL) | Willson Contreras (CHC) | Buster Posey (SF) |
| 4 | Gary Sanchez (NYY) | Yasmani Grandal (MIL) | Yasmani Grandal (MIL) |
| 5 | Willson Contreras (CHC) | Salvador Perez (KC) | Yadier Molina (STL) |
| 6 | Yadier Molina (STL) | Yadier Molina (STL) | Willson Contreras (CHC) |
| 7 | Kurt Suzuki (WAS) | Wilson Ramos (NYM) | Salvador Perez (KC) |
| 8 | Wilson Ramos (NYM) | Gary Sanchez (NYY) | Wilson Ramos (NYM) |
| 9 | Mike Zunino (TB) | Kurt Suzuki (WAS) | Francisco Cervelli (PIT) |
| 10 | Salvador Perez (KC) | Francisco Cervelli (PIT) | Yan Gomes (WAS) |
