"The catching position in Tampa has been a revolving door for many years now. Mike Zunino got the majority of the playing time back there in the 2019 to 2022 stretch but his performance tailed off in the final year of that span. In 2023, the Rays used Francisco Mejia, Christian Bethancourt and without any of those three taking firm hold of the job."
"As of today, Fortes and Feduccia are the only two backstops on the 40-man roster. Fortes has caught 2,708 2/3 innings over five big league seasons with strong defensive numbers. However, his offense is lacking, as he has a .224/.280/.345 line and 72 wRC+ in his career. Feduccia has a much shorter track record, with just 119 plate appearances in the majors and a .170/.286/.220 line in those."
The Rays acquired two catchers at the trade deadline but remain unsatisfied and will continue searching for upgrades. Catcher has been a revolving position since 2019, with Mike Zunino, Francisco Mejia, Christian Bethancourt, Ben Rortvedt and Danny Jansen all receiving time with mixed results. The Rays traded for Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes; Fortes offers strong defense across 2,708 2/3 innings but weak offense (.224/.280/.345, 72 wRC+). Feduccia has limited MLB experience (119 PA, .170/.286/.220). Dominic Keegan could be added to the 40-man for Rule 5 protection, but his Triple-A bat was limited.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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