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

3. Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart is a superior defender to Curt Casali.

Edwards. Bench. Barnhart. The only Reds catchers to win two Gold Glove Awards. Tucker Barnhart recently rounded out that legendary list with his second Gold Glove. Make no mistake, the Reds pay Tuck for his impeccable defense.

His .997 career fielding percentage is the best amongst all active catchers. This past year, Barnhart caught 36% of runners stealing– good for 3rd in the National League. He ranked 5th in the NL for defensive WAR (0.9).

If you care about “range factor,” Barnhart ranked first in the NL this past season (11.77 per game) and ranks fourth amongst all active catchers. It’s also worth noting that he ranked fourth in framing pitches, according to FanGraphs. A dramatic improvement in a category that has been Barnhart’s Achilles Heel in the past.

As far as offense goes, Barnhart fits perfectly into David Bell’s puzzle. In the past two seasons, the left-handed hitter’s batting average against left-handed pitchers is an abysmal .093. But because we are in Bell’s system, Casali’s much less dramatic split doesn’t weigh as much on roster decisions.

Because the Reds have a budding right-handed hitter in Tyler Stephenson to fill the other side of the platoon, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to hold onto Casali for his hitting ability. You pay for a catcher’s defense. Tucker isn’t going anywhere.

I like Curt Casali. He’s a good catcher, a good batter and an all-around good ballplayer to have in the clubhouse. There’s no doubt that Casali can continue to contribute to a Major League team. But the Cincinnati Reds have their catching platoon in a multi-Gold Glove winner, Tucker Barnhart, and the up-and-coming youngster, Tyler Stephenson.