The Rangers signed a catcher Tucker Barnhart to a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The deal includes an invitation to the Rangers Spring Training big league camp, and Barnhart will earn $1MM if he makes the Texas roster.
Barnhart is the second veteran catcher the Rangers have acquired in the past two weeks, after getting inked Kyle Higashioka in a two-year, $13.5MM deal. Jonah Heim It’s still the first start in Arlington, but Heim’s struggles in 2024 have left the Rangers looking for more depth, so Higashioka is expected to get more playing time than the typical backup. With the two locked in catcher jobs on the MLB roster, Barnhart and Sam Huff would be triple-A depth unless an injury occurs.
A two-time Glover since his days as a Reds catcher, Barnhart’s glove work has helped document some of the only serviceable numbers at the plate. However, Barnhart’s once-decent offensive production has continued to decline significantly, while his glove work has fallen below average in terms of Defensive Runs Saved (-2) and Statcast’s Catcher Runs metric (-3).
It should be noted that these numbers come from a limited sample, as Barnhart appeared in only 31 major league games with the Diamondbacks last season. Even when you start Gabriel Moreno injured, the D’Backs pick Jose Herrera plenty of playing time, and Barnhart was designated for assignment and eventually released after Moreno returned from the injured list. Barnhart came with his old team to Cincinnati in a minor league deal in August, but his return to the Reds did not lead to any MLB playing time.
Barnhart has a .241/.318/351 slash line in 3088 plate appearances over 11 seasons with the Reds, Tigers, Cubs, and Diamondbacks. His contract likely includes standard opt-out clauses, so Barnhart can return to the open market if he doesn’t see a clear path to play on the Rangers’ roster before Opening Day.
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