Ex-Reds catcher's release offers opportunity for reunion, but Cincy should avoid it

The Cincinnati Reds could use a competent catcher behind Jose Trevino. Starting backstop Tyler Stephenson will begin the 2025 season on the injured list after being diagnosed with an oblique injury. Things got even worse after Trevino exited a spring training contest a couple weeks ago, but the former Platinum Glove Award-winning catcher has been declared good to go for Opening Day.

At the moment, the odds-on favorite to be named as the Reds backup catcher for Opening Day is Austin Wynns. The non-roster invitee has plenty of experience, and has been part of Reds' camp throughout the entirety of spring training.

But old friend Luke Maile is a free agent once again. The Reds bid farewell to Maile this past winter after two years playing for his hometown team. The northern Kentucky native signed a one-year deal with the Reds prior to 2023 and was re-signed to a new contract the following offseason. Cincinnati, however, decided not to exercise the club-option for 2025, and Maile signed with the Kansas City Royals last month.

Luke Maile's release from the KC Royals offers an opportunity for a reunion, but the Reds should avoid it

Maile was released this past week despite putting up good numbers in Royals' spring camp. The 34-year-old appeared in 10 games for the Royals this spring and hit .333/.391/.571 with two doubles and a home run. Maile even swiped a bag during his brief tenure with Kansas City.

But do the Reds really want to entertain the idea of reunion with Maile? The reason Cincinnati decided to move on this past offseason was due, in large part, to Maile's poor offensive performance. After putting up serviceable numbers for a backup catcher in 2023, Maile's numbers tanked last season. His OPS dipped from .699 (2023) to .520 (2024), and Maile's on-base percentage was a paltry .268 last season.

To make matters worse, Maile's defensive metrics declined as well. A year after finishing among the 70th percentile in both caught stealing above average (2) and pop time (1.93 seconds), Maile's defensive numbers fell off a cliff. He finished below average in the aforementioned defensive categories, and his framing was among the worst in baseball.

If a reunion with Maile is limited to just a minor-league contract that would bring some added depth to the Louisville Bats' roster in Triple-A, that's fine. But Maile shouldn't be considered as a replacement for Wynns. Stephenson's injury isn't supposed to keep him out for very long, so a combination of Trevino and Wynns should be able to hold down the fort until the Reds' QB1 returns.

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