Several moves that could take place for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2024-25 offseason might very well depend on the performance of a handful of prospects on the fringe of the major leagues this year. Names like Landon Knack, Miguel Vargas, James Outman and Andy Pages may be in the spotlight right now, but one of the most overlooked positions on the team could be the catcher spot.
Seemingly, Will Smith and Austin Barnes have had a stronghold on the Los Angeles catcher spot forever now, and for good reason. Of course, Smith signed a monster contract before the season began that runs through his 2033 campaign. Smith can thank mostly his offensive prowess and his steadiness behind the plate, but the Dodgers had to have taken into consideration that Smith almost never lands on the injured list.
Smith was on the injured list early last year when he missed a week for concussion protocol in April. Prior to that, he missed 10 days with neck tightness in 2020. Barnes — who was close to missing time last fall after being struck by Nick Fortes’ bat — hasn’t landed on the IL in the last four years.
Having two catchers stay this healthy is a rarity in the MLB these days. On top of that, the ability of Smith and Barnes to avoid the IL is the primary reason why the team hasn’t had to dip into the minors much for catching help.
Sitting in the Top 10 Dodgers prospects rankings are 23-year-old Dalton Rushing at No. 2 and 22-year-old Diego Cartaya at No. 9. Higher on the catching totem pole but not ranked is 26-year-old Hunter Feduccia.
Depending on the fate of Barnes, either one could conceivably have a shot in the bigs next year. Barnes, who is currently in his age 34 season, is in the final year of a two-year deal, but he has a $3.5 million team option for 2025.
Both Feduccia and Cartaya are on the team’s 40-man roster. If Smith or Barnes were placed on the injury list right now, the lefty hitting Feduccia would get the call.
Feduccia is having a decent season at the plate so far, slashing .268/.374/.443 with seven doubles and 19 RBI for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Although he has never been a real power threat, he has hit double-digit home runs over the past three seasons. Additionally, he has already thrown out 15 baserunners so far this season.
Feduccia’s backup at OKC, 29-year-old journeyman Chris Okey, is hitting .233/.277/.284 in 65 plate appearances.
Feduccia had a banner season in 2023, hitting 11 homers and driving in 57 runs while tallying a career-high .279 batting average with an .838 OPS. He appeared in 90 games for OKC, posting a .994 fielding percentage and throwing out 21 base stealers in 741.1 innings behind the plate.
Feduccia has slashed .263/.363/.425 with 40 homers and 206 RBI in 365 minor league games with the Dodgers’ organization. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State University.
If things stay the same and Barnes remains healthy and semi-productive throughout the 2024 season, he could be a shoo-in for the club to pick up his option for next season. However, if Feduccia has an opportunity in the majors and capitalizes on it, there could be a change ahead this offseason.