The Dodgers Would Be Foolish To Trade Star Catcher Will Smith
Good catching is tough to come by. Only a few names really make an impact, especially offensively. Will Smith is the man, along with others like J.T Realmuto and Willson Contreras. With a weak catching free agent market, some suspect the Dodgers trading him.
For starters, this wouldn’t be a good move whatsoever. Los Angeles cemented the starting catcher role in the hands of Smith after the departure of Yasmani Grandal. He has done nothing but good for the team, posting a slash line of .261/.356/.501 averaging 33 home runs and 104 RBI through 162 games.
Perhaps in the eyes of Andrew Friedman, he could achieve a significant return, knowing that the catching market is bare. The Dodgers are in the market for many positions, as multiple players are reaching free agency like Justin Turner, Trea Turner, and Clayton Kershaw to name a few.
Diego Cartaya may be Smith’s replacement, who is the Dodgers’ number one prospect as well as number eight overall. He has raked in the Minors, slashing .269/.380/.502 through 175 professional games.
However, here is the problem. Cartaya has never played above Single-A advanced. The dude is only 21 years old. Sure he seems to achieve success through each level he’s played, but should he replace Will Smith this soon? No way.
Another clue supporting this Will Smith trade rumor is the fact the Dodgers signed backup catcher Austin Barnes to a two-year extension on July 3rd of this year. Does this mean he’ll hold down the fort until Diego Cartaya is indeed ready for big league play in the absence of Will Smith? I would certainly hope not.
Ultimately, the Dodgers have to realize that, yes, good catching is hard to come by, and Austin Barnes isn’t a great offensive piece – nothing like Will Smith. Also, why sacrifice something good for something uncertain in Diego Cartaya?
You absolutely don’t want this to be a repeat of the Dodgers trading away Mike Piazza in 1998. Many consider this to be one of the worst trades of all time. I’d say Will Smith is that special of a player.
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