Cincinnati Reds positional preview vs. NL Central: catcher

3. Omar Narváez, Milwaukee Brewers

Not many Reds fans even know who the Milwaukee Brewers starting catcher is. After saying goodbye to former Cincinnati farmhand Yasmani Grandal in free agency, the Brewers traded for Omar Narváez of the Seattle Mariners. Narvaez has a big bat that will likely play well in the hitter-friendly confines of Miller Park.

After putting up a slash line of .278/.353/.460, Narváez was dealt to Milwaukee in exchange for Adam Hill and a draft pick. Narváez is a solid pickup for a Brewers lineup who lost a lot of talent this offseason, but his defense is well-below league average. Narváez recorded -18 defensive runs saved in 2019 according to FanGraphs.

2. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

Ugh, I know Reds fans. We don’t want to admit it, but Yadier Molina is still very good. The 37-year-old is not near the player he was when he was instigating fights with Brandon Phillips, but Molina is still putting up solid numbers and started 108 games behind the plate last season.

Cincinnati Reds fans do not like Yadier Molina, and with good reason. Over his 16-year career, the Cardinals backstop has wreaked havoc on the Queen City. Hitting .289/.328/.448 with 24 home runs and 110 RBIs during 216 games against the Reds, Molina always seems to come up clutch against our beloved Redlegs.

The scary thing for Reds fans is that soon enough Cincinnati will have a new enemy behind the plate. Top catching prospect Andrew Knizner is likely to see some time in the big leagues this coming season. Knizner was recently optioned to Triple-A Memphis, but he’s an offensive-minded catcher who could make an impact in the future.