Cincinnati Reds: 3 surprise non-tender candidates

2. Curt Casali, Reds Catcher

Like Jesse Winker, I expect Curt Casali to survive today’s non-tender deadline, but his future with the Cincinnati Reds is very much up in the air. If Nick Krall and the front office are ready to commit to a catching tandem of Tucker Barnhart and Tyler Stephenson next season, Cincinnati could save some money by non-tendering Casali.

Casali is assumed by MLB Trade Rumors to take home between $1.8M-$2.4M next season. That’s incredibly affordable for a catcher with Casali’s resumé. The right-handed hitting backstop appeared in 31 games and posted a 126 OPS+.

The biggest question mark in terms of Casali’s future with the Reds has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Stephenson. Last year’s rookie has the makings of a talented, young catching prospect who can not only defend, but also hit. Barnhart is a defense-first catcher and Casali, while he has some pop in his bat, is a better defender than he is a hitter.

In the end, I expect Cincinnati to tender Curt Casali for the 2021 season. If for no other reason, the Reds should do so in order to retain his rights and then trade him this winter. A catcher with Casali’s production is incredibly valuable, and even if the front office decides to go with a combination of Barnhart and Stephenson behind the plate, Casali could fetch a nice return in a trade.