Los Angeles Dodgers: Why a trade for J.T. Realmuto won’t happen

3. The Los Angeles Dodgers are just fine with the catchers on the roster

The Los Angeles Dodgers certainly did take a big hit in losing Yasmani Grandal. However, the idea that the Dodgers desperately need a catcher begins to hold less merit when you really dive into who could be behind the plate for the Boys in Blue next season.

Right now, the prime candidate to be the near-everyday catcher is Austin Barnes. A lot of fans complain about this and rightfully so. Barnes was awful offensively last season, hitting just .205 with a .619 OPS in 238 plate appearances.

However, this is still the guy that most baseball fans and analysts had in their top 10 catchers list prior to the 2018 season.

Yes, he had a bad year and that obviously hurts his case as a top-10 catcher. However, he obviously was affected by splitting time with Yasmani Grandal. Give Barnes a chance to get in a groove and the results will follow.

We saw it in the postseason. Barnes at the very least works a good at-bat, something Grandal didn’t do at all late in the season and even came up with one of the biggest hits of the NLCS when he drove in Chris Taylor in Game 5, allowing Clayton Kershaw to stay in the game.

Giving up on Barnes before the season even begins is a tad ridiculous to me. Plus, the Dodgers could even bring up Will Smith to serve as the backup catcher. He played 25 games in AAA last season and will be 24 by the time the season starts.

If the team is hesitant in calling Smith up at the beginning of the year, the front office could even bring in a veteran to back up Barnes. You know who is a free agent this winter? Clayton Kershaw’s old battery mate and best friend, A.J. Ellis.

Then, if the catching situation is as dire as everyone thinks it will be, the team can make a much cheaper move at the deadline for someone like Cervelli or Gomes. Heck, if Keibert Ruiz or Will Smith are tearing it up in the minors, they could even be a huge addition.

I just don’t see Austin Barnes as a terrible option. While Realmuto is definitely an upgrade, it isn’t worth making a deal if Barnes can do what the team needs him to do.