5 catchers who could replace Luke Maile as Tyler Stephenson's backup in 2025

Luke Maile had a good run with his hometown team. The northern Kentucky native was Tyler Stephenson's backup for the past two seasons, but the Cincinnati Reds chose not to exercise Maile's $3.5 million club-option for 2025, effectively making him a free agent.

Maile's leadership was second to none on last year's team, but his bat was virtually nonexistent. Maile hit just .178/.268/.252 in 135 at-bats last season. Moreover, Maile's defense was middle-of-the-road at best, and ranked near the bottom-third in the league in both framing and pop time according to Baseball Savant.

So now the Reds will look to find a new backup catcher heading into 2025. Stephenson will undoubtedly get the lion's share of starts, but given his injury history, Cincinnati would be wise to find a serviceable backup. Who might the fit the bill?

5 catchers who could replace Luke Maile as Tyler Stephenson's backup in 2025

Austin Hedges

Don't be surprised if new Reds manager Terry Francona advocates for one of his former players. Though Maile played for Francona as well, Austin Hedges is a far superior defender. Offensively, Hedges is about as mediocre as they come, but if you're talking about a player who suits up once every four or five days, Cincinnati could stomach having a below-average bat in their lineup if it meant having an above-average defender behind the plate.

Yan Gomes

Another Francona disciple is former Chicago Cubs' backstop Yan Gomes. The 37-year-old got off to a horrid start with Chicago last season and was designated for assignment after the Cubs picked up former New York Mets catcher Tomas Nido. For his career, Gomes owns a .707 OPS and has historically been an above-average defensive catcher.

Tucker Barnhart

Many Reds fans expected to see Tucker Barnhart receive a September call-up last season, but it never came. The two-time Gold Glove Award-winner was signed to a minor-league deal with his former club midway through last season. Barnhart is a free agent this winter, but has just a .606 OPS over the past five seasons. However, Barnhart is renown for his work with pitchers and could be a tremendous veteran presence on the Reds' 2025 roster.

Gary Sánchez

If you're a Reds fans who'd rather see Cincinnati pursue a catcher with a better skillset in the batters' box, Gary Sánchez could be your guy. Sánchez has a career .772 OPS and double-digit homers in every season since 2017. A two-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger, Sánchez is coming off a down-year in Milwaukee and could be a sneaky addition to the Reds roster this offseason.

Jacob Stallings

A former NL Central foe, Jacob Stallings spent last season in Denver. Well known for his defensive ability, Stallings enjoyed a strong offensive showing with the Colorado Rockies in 2024. Stallings works the count and is quite good at drawing walks. However, Stallings is not fleet of foot, ranking among the worst in sprint speed last season alongside Daniel Vogelbach.

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