Through the years, the Texas Rangers have been known for having great catchers. From Jim Sundberg and his six Gold Gloves, to Pudge Rodriguez and his Hall of Fame career, to Mike Napoli and his legendary run in the postseason to become a cult hero in Texas.
In recent seasons, however, the Rangers have been searching to rekindle their identity of being a destination franchise for quality backstops. Despite being two of the better defensive catchers in the league in 2021, the tandem of Jonah Heim and Jose Trevino was unproductive at the plate with a bat in their hands.
Enter Mitch Garver.
After filling up on star infielders over the winter before the lockout, the Rangers came out on the other side this March looking to improve behind the plate. On March 12, Texas sent infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and minor league pitcher Ronny Henriquez to the Minnesota Twins for 31-year-old Garver.
The trade was surprising since it was anticipated that Kiner-Falefa would slide back over to third base after a season at shortstop.
Kiner-Falefa had won a Gold Glove at the hot corner in 2020 and the Rangers were expected to need his services after top prospect Josh Jung was lost for the majority of the season with a shoulder injury in late February.
The Rangers had other plans and Kiner-Falefa was utilized as a trade chip with a catcher as the target for an upgrade.
Trevino led the way for Texas at catcher in 2021 where he slashed .239/.267/.340 in 302 plate appearances. Heim (.196/.239/.358) nearly matched Trevino with 285 plate appearances as they split duties. Add in 31 PAs from John Hicks and two starts from Yohel Pozo and the Rangers’ catchers had a combined OPS of .620 in 2021, which landed them just ahead of Cleveland for worst in the American League.
Garver, meanwhile, had an OPS of .875 in 243 plate appearances for the Twins in 2021. A ninth-round pick by the Twins in the 2014 draft, the former University of New Mexico standout Garver made his MLB debut for Minnesota in 2017 but his big breakout season came in 2019 when he hit 31 home runs in 93 games and led the American League in WAR by catchers at 3.9.
Garver was injured and took a step back in the COVID-19 delayed 2020 season when he hit just .167/.247/.264 in 23 games for Minnesota, but he bounced back in 2021 despite injuries again limiting him to just 68 games. And there’s the rub for Garver and why he was available in trade.
When he’s healthy and on the field, Garver has shown to be one of the game’s best hitters for his position. But staying healthy and on the field has been an issue since his debut season.
The Rangers are likely banking on keeping him behind the plate for 90-100 games while utilizing their wealth of backup options to keep him healthy. If they are able to achieve that, their production from catcher should be much improved.
Garver is not considered to be an elite defender but reports from Minnesota suggest that pitchers like throwing to him and he hasn’t been a detriment behind the dish. Meanwhile, Heim and Trevino each earned high marks for handling a pitching staff and for their ability to frame pitches.
Both returning catchers are serviceable and have now experienced the rigors of a full MLB season. Heim likely has a higher upside with the bat which could give him the inside track to the backup job. The Rangers could also elect to keep all three on the roster if they feel like Garver will need more days off to stay healthy and slugging.
The Rangers didn’t have to trade for Mitch Garver. They had a need at third base that Kiner-Falefa could have gamely filled and they had two catchers who could have combined to share a starter’s load. But with an opportunistic trade, Texas now has a chance to turn another position into a plus in 2022.
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