This Deadline pickup has been a catch for Rangers

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- Being a catcher, first and foremost, is about creating and sustaining a relationship with the pitching staff. That’s why being traded midseason is so hard for a catcher like Carson Kelly, who the Rangers acquired in a Trade Deadline deal with the Tigers.

“It's probably one of the toughest things you have to do as a player, just getting to know the nuances, how they like to work, what works for them,” said manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher. “Carson has been around a while, though, and he has experience. He has changed clubs before. With the information that you get and with the pitching coaches and the game planning, it makes it so much easier.”

So easy that Kelly, fortunately, has adapted better than ever. So much that pitchers rave about his command behind the plate. He’s been a welcome surprise during a tough month for Texas as the club slides down the standings.

“Carson, today was the first time I have ever thrown to Carson,” Cody Bradford said after a start in New York on Aug. 10. “Kudos to him. He did a phenomenal job calling the game. We bonded super close super quick. The first time I've ever thrown a pitch to him was in the bullpen today, and he did such a great job just commanding the game.”

The Rangers have had 2023 All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner Jonah Heim primarily behind the plate this season, to the shock of nobody. But he’s struggled on both sides of the plate.

Heim has hit just .228 with a .619 OPS, while backup Andrew Knizner -- who was designated for assignment shortly after the Deadline -- had been significantly worse offensively. Knizner hit .167 in 37 games behind Heim this season.

The Rangers acquired Kelly to be a more serviceable backup to Heim and perhaps provide more offensive upside than either Heim or Knizner at the time. But that quickly changed. Since the Trade Deadline, Heim has started 11 games behind the plate, while Kelly has started 12.

It’s become more of a 50/50 split than anybody expected at the beginning of the season. At the time of the trade, Kelly was hitting .240 with a .716 OPS with the Tigers. In 12 games with the Rangers, he’s hit .308 with a .777 OPS.

“I just made some adjustments in the offseason, made some swing adjustments and catching adjustments,” Kelly said. “I'm just a student of the game and I want to continue to learn, and I think this is going to be a great place to do it.”

Kelly has also been significantly better defensively than Heim, who has surprisingly struggled based on the metrics. None of Bochy, Heim and catching coach Bobby Wilson had an answer for Heim’s slight defensive regression, but both coaches noted their faith in the backstop.

“You can look at it from a metric standpoint, but I tend to look at it from a win-loss standpoint,” Wilson explained. “I tend to look at it from a catcher’s ERA standpoint. In both of those departments, he’s played well. Has it regressed a little bit defensively? Yeah, it has. The metrics would say that. But most importantly, in my opinion, he’s handling the staff well. That’s the most important thing right now.”

That being said, Kelly has obviously been a major contributor as the Rangers have struggled through August.

He can’t and won’t single-handedly get Texas back into the postseason picture, but he’s brought an offensive energy that the club has needed, while integrating seamlessly with the pitching staff that is run smoothly by Mike Maddux.

“I think there's a lot to like,” Wilson said. “The demeanor behind the plate. He's worked well with the pitchers, getting to know them, investing in them. He does a lot of good things defensively, receiving the ball well, and has the ability to block and move around. He's thrown well over the course of the season. So there's a lot to like there, you know. And on top of that, he's a good teammate. Obviously, with that being one of our pillars, being a good teammate, he fits that mold. You can tell he cares and he wants to win. I believe that he is a winner.”