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Jose Trevino trade magnifies troubling trend among Reds minor league catchers

The Reds are striking out on homegrown backstops too often.

ByAbigail Miskowiec|
Cincinnati Reds catcher Austin Romine s (28) helmet and mask rest in the dirt in the seventh of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Mlb Pittsburgh Pirates At Cincinnati Reds Sept 14 7830
Cincinnati Reds catcher Austin Romine s (28) helmet and mask rest in the dirt in the seventh of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Mlb Pittsburgh Pirates At Cincinnati Reds Sept 14 7830 | Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cincinnati Reds’ acquisition of Jose Trevino addressed their pressing need for a backup catcher, but the fact that Cincy needed to mine the trade market to produce a backup is, in and of itself, a problem. The backstop pipeline seems to be clogged as homegrown talent appears scant in the farm system.

Tyler Stephenson, who is all but guaranteed to be the Reds’ Opening Day starter for the fourth straight season, is a rare example of farm-raised catching. Still, it has been almost a decade since Cincinnati took him 11th overall in the 2015 Draft. For the most part, the Reds’ catching prospects have hit significant stumbling blocks in the minors.

The Reds’ lack of top-quality catching in the farm system is starting to affect the big-league club

Over the past decade, just four catchers other than Stephenson have appeared in MLB.com’s Top 15 prospects in the Reds’ system, and three of those — Chris Okey, Jackson Miller, and Mat Nelson — seem to have landed on the list simply by virtue of their draft position.

Okey, a second-round pick in 2016, never quite found his swing in the pros and spent this past season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A squad. Miller, the Reds’ second-round pick in 2020, retired prior to this season due to incessant injuries. At this point in time, Nelson seems like the likeliest catcher drafted by Cincinnati to actually make it into a Reds uniform, but even that could be a stretch. The former first-round pick has stalled at Double-A, hitting .198/.328/.287 in 2024.

Alfredo Duno, a 19-year-old prospect from Venezuela, may be the Reds’ last best hope of internal catching help. He was touted as one of the best international prospects when he signed with Cincinnati in 2023, but he missed much of last season with a broken rib. Even if he recovers fully and fulfills his potential, he is years from the majors.

This pattern of disappointment is more than frustrating. It is costing the Reds at the big-league level. In order to obtain Trevino from the Yankees, the Reds had to deal reliever Fernando Cruz, which reduces the already thin bullpen. Cincinnati is not going to be a club that can lose too many established pros going forward. The catching problem needs to be fixed.

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