Take a look at Rays' catcher options for '20

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays will have to address the catching position this offseason, but they’ll have to move forward without Travis d’Arnaud, who inked a two-year, $16 million deal with the Braves on Sunday.

Now the Rays are now faced with a pair of key decisions regarding the catcher position over the winter. The first will come on Dec. 2, when the club will have to decide whether to non-tender Mike Zunino or bring him back for another season.

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Zunino had a positive impact in the clubhouse and was solid defensively, but he wasn’t able to contribute at the plate during his first season with the Rays. If Tampa Bay tenders him a contract, Zunino is expected to make $4.9 million through arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The Rays also have Michael Perez as an option behind the plate, but the 26-year-old catcher doesn’t have much experience at the big league level.

While it’s possible that the Rays ultimately depend on the in-house options to fill the position, it appears more likely that they explore the free agent and trade market.

With Yasmani Grandal signing with the White Sox and d’Arnaud securing a deal with the Braves, let’s take a look at some of the other catching options the Rays could show interest in.

Willson Contreras, Cubs
Age: 27
2019 bWAR: 3.1

Early in the offseason, Contreras’ name has been linked as a potential trade candidate. With two of the top free-agent catchers off the market, the bidding could start to heat up for the Cubs catcher. Contreras’ ability at the plate would give the Rays a clear upgrade at the position over d’Arnaud, Zunino and Perez. Contreras hit a career-high 24 home runs and .888 OPS in just 105 games with Chicago last season. His defense is about league average, but his offense more than makes up for it. Contreras is entering his first year of arbitration, so he’s still controllable for the next three seasons.

It’s unclear if the Cubs will shop Contreras in order to make their roster a bit more functional, but if Chicago is looking for some controllable arms in any trade, it will probably want to give Tampa Bay a call.

James McCann, White Sox
Age: 29
2019 bWAR: 3.8

With the White Sox signing Grandal, it becomes increasingly likely that they’ll look to trade McCann over the winter. McCann finished the 2019 season with a career-high 18 home runs, which helped him earn his first All-Star bid. The 29-year old ended the ‘19 campaign with a 43.5 percent hard-hit rate, which ranks in the 76th percentile. Like the Cubs, the White Sox could use some help on the pitching side, which is where the Rays can come in. Tampa Bay could benefit from adding a capable bat in the catcher spot, and McCann, who has one more year of arbitration before becoming a free agent after the ‘20 season, could fill that role.

Robinson Chirinos, Free agent
Age: 35
2019 bWAR: 3.8

Now we move on to the free agents, and Chirinos will certainly have a market as the Hot Stove heats up. Chirinos has been consistent at the plate, slugging at least 17 homers over the last three seasons. The veteran catcher, who spent the 2019 season with the Astros, hit timely home runs during the World Series and was often praised by the Houston pitching staff. Because of his postseason performance and experience, Chirinos will draw a healthy market, which will likely include the Rays as long as the price tag is fair.

Jason Castro, Free agent
Age: 32
2019 bWAR: 0.7

Castro is coming off a 13-homer campaign and could serve as a very good backup catcher for the Rays. In 79 games, Castro finished with a .767 OPS, which is the highest since his All-Star season in 2013 as a member of the Astros. It’s probably unfair to expect Castro to improve on that offensive output, but the veteran has shown the ability to hit home runs throughout his career. In fact, he’s hit 10 or more home runs in six of his eight seasons in the Majors.

But while Castro’s offense is a bonus, his real value comes defensively. His pitch framing ranked in the 63rd percentile in 2019, and he threw out 29 of the 36 potential base stealers.

Yan Gomes, Free agent
Age: 32
2019 bWAR: 1.3

After making the All-Star team with the Indians in 2018, Gomes saw his offensive production decline last season with the Nationals. In a split role with Kurt Suzuki, Gomes hit 12 home runs in 97 games and saw his exit velocity average dip from 88.9 in ‘18 to 87.6 last season. But despite his numbers taking a hit last season, Gomes has the ability to hit the ball out of the park, and he could be a bounce back candidate for the Rays. Gomes hit 21 home runs in ‘14 and 16 during his All-Star campaign in ‘18. If he returns anywhere near that production, Gomes could be a decent buy-low candidate this offseason.