Inbox: How will TB address hole at catcher?

ST. PETERSBURG -- It has already been an eventful offseason for the defending American League champions, and the activity is sure to pick up now that the tender deadline has come and gone, creating a clear picture of the free-agent market.

So far this offseason, the Rays have lost Charlie Morton to the Braves and Michael Perez to the Pirates and have parted ways with Hunter Renfroe, Mike Zunino, Chaz Roe and Andrew Kittredge. Because of that, a lot of questions remain before next season begins, making it the perfect time for another Rays Inbox.

Let’s get to it.

It seems like the Rays are always looking for help at the catcher position. This offseason, however, they really need help there. Tampa Bay has just one backstop on the 40-man roster, and that’s No. 12 prospect Ronaldo Hernandez, who hasn’t played above Class A Advanced Charlotte. That means the Rays will look for a starter and a backup.

One option that seemingly makes too much sense is Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. The 28-year-old hit seven home runs in 2020 and a career-high 24 homers in only 105 games in ‘19. Adding Contreras would immediately boost an offense that struggled during the postseason. Financially, Conteras also makes sense for the Rays, given that he still has two seasons of control before becoming a free agent after the ‘22 season.

The Cubs will certainly be looking to add some young pieces in a trade for Contreras, and few teams are better equipped to part with prospects than Tampa Bay, which has the top farm system in the Majors per MLB Pipeline.

Other interesting options for the Rays would include James McCann -- though he might be out of the team’s price range -- Wilson Ramos, who was an All-Star with the club in 2018, and Mike Zunino, who would welcome a reunion.

It’s difficult to envision Yoshi Tsutsugo having another poor season in 2021. Though the results weren’t there, the Rays were encouraged by some of the advanced numbers Tsutsugo was able to produce. Tampa Bay will hope that with a (possibly) more traditional season plus familiarity with Major League pitching, Tsutsugo will have a bounce-back season worthy of the two-year, $12 million deal the club gave him last winter.

As for Tsutsugo's role, he’ll be a platoon player until he can prove that he can handle the everyday duties. The Rays are built on the best matchups, and that won’t change next season, especially if there isn’t a lot of turnover on the roster.

This is more of a statement, but we’ll take it as a question, mostly because Adam Duvall to the Rays does make a lot of sense. Duvall was somewhat surprisingly non-tendered by the Braves on Wednesday, making him a free agent following one of the best 60-game stretches of his career. The 32-year-old hit 16 homers with 33 RBIs in 57 games last season.

The Rays decided to designate Renfroe for assignment due to a crowded outfield, which makes going after Duvall a little bit trickier than just looking at the fit. Renfroe was projected to make $3.5 million in arbitration according to MLB Trade Rumors, and Tampa Bay just wasn’t prepared to pay that much after his disappointing lone season with the club. To land Duvall, the Rays would have to outbid some other teams, which could be difficult. Spending big on an outfielder isn’t at the top of their list, but Duvall could be the player they hoped they were getting in Renfroe last winter. Will it happen, though? At this point in the offseason, I don't see it.

The Rays have made multiple efforts to lower their payroll this offseason, and Kevin Kiermaier is set to be the highest-paid player on the roster next season at $11.1 million. He will also make $12.1 million in 2022, the final year of his current deal. Because of that, Kiermaier will naturally be in the middle of some trade rumors this offseason, especially when you consider the fact that Tampa Bay has two capable center fielders on the roster in Brett Phillips and Manuel Margot.

However, the Rays won’t trade Kiermaier just because -- they would like to get some value for 30-year-old, and they would like to pick up as little money as possible on his contract. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported last week that opposing teams would want Tampa Bay to pick up a chunk of Kiermaier’s contract in any potential trade, which could complicate matters.

As of right now, the market for Kiermaier -- or any center fielder -- is slowed down until George Springer makes his free-agent decision. The teams that miss out on Springer will continue to look for a solution at the position and will undoubtedly inquire about Kiermaier.

Kiermaier has been a constant piece for the Rays this decade and is arguably the best center fielder in franchise history, but one way to clear up the outfield picture and the payroll heading into next season could be by dealing the three-time Gold Glove Award winner this offseason. It’ll just depend if they can find the right partner.