Cincinnati Reds: 3 signs Curt Casali will be gone next season

1. The Reds could save money by non-tendering or trading Curt Casali.

Curt Casali is in his second year of arbitration eligibility. Casali made $1.4M with Cincinnati last year. The low cost of a platooned catcher definitely helps Casali’s case. Quite simply, it’s not the end of the world if he stays or goes. Casali is assumed to make between $1.8M-$2.4M next season according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Cincinnati acquired Casali from Tampa via an amazing trade for cash, and Casali has taken advantage of the opportunity Cincinnati has given him. Furthermore, Casali’s split at the plate verses right-handed and left-handed pitchers isn’t nearly as staggering as Tucker Barnhart’s. But David Bell has made it clear that this lineup operates in a platooned system.

Casali isn’t the defender that Tucker Barnhart is. Few catchers are– and we’ll get to that. Casali threw out 27% of runners attempting to steal. That’s almost 10% less than Barnhart’s rate. While Casali is not a poor defender, Cincinnati is better defensively with their two-time Gold Glove winning catcher donning the tools of ignorance.

And while I don’t mean to call Curt Casali an old man, he is eight years older than Tyler Stephenson. The front office and the fans want to see the developing talent in the minors start to get their chances. Stephenson did not disappoint in the few chances he got in 2020. It would be a crime to not let Stephenson build upon his successes at the expense of Casali’s roster spot.