3 positions the Reds must address during free agency

2. The Cincinnati Reds must add a veteran catcher in free agency.

This will be a topic of conversation throughout Reds Country until Tucker Barnhart is brought back to Cincinnati or the front office re-signs Austin Romine. Whether you want to see the Reds and Barnhart reunite, or your team Curt Casali, or whatever, every fan can agree that signing a backup catcher in free agency is a must for Cincinnati this offseason.

Barnhart, Casali, or Romine would all be better options than the mess that the Reds trotted onto the field this past season. Romine was a late-addition to the party, but with Tyler Stephenson hitting the IL on three separate occasions this past season, David Bell was forced to play the likes of Michael Papierski and Aramis Garcia behind the dish.

The catcher position is arguably the most important in all of baseball. While every fan wishes that their team's catcher could be Mike Piazza, the reality is that a catcher must play above-average defense, call a good game, and every so often send a ball over the fence.

Stephenson will be the Cincinnati Reds starting catcher, but the front office needs to find a capable backup who can carry the load for 50-plus games in 2023. Whether it's any of the aforementioned free agent backstops or a player like Austin Hedges, the Reds need to sign a backup catcher during the offseason.