Welcome again to the 2025-26 version of Smash or Pass, by which we look at potential free agent and commerce targets to find out whether or not the Pink Sox ought to pursue them and what it will take to land them. Right now we take a look at a catcher who reveals versatility and energy on the plate.
Who’s he and the place does he come from?
He’s Victor Caratini. He’s bounced across the league lately however most just lately was an Astro for 2 seasons. He additionally served as a catcher on the Cubs immediately after their drought-breaking World Sequence win, the Padres and Brewers.
Sure and no. He’s positively higher than any alternative degree catcher (learn: Connor Wong). He has some skill to drill the ball, as his remoted energy was .145, putting him squarely within the “yeah, that works!” class within the metric. And he had 12 residence runs final 12 months, putting him twenty second within the league amongst catchers and doing so with fewer at-bats (386 in 114 video games) than all however 4 of these in entrance of him. To optimize alternatives the place he’d be capable to come off the bench behind a budding Carlos Narvaez or simply present an insurance coverage possibility, he additionally change hits. Plus he’s affected person: Baseball Savant places his chase price (23.5%) within the prime twenty percentile, and his strikeout price (16.8%) and whiff price (19.8%) land him simply outdoors it.
He’s positively not the quickest possibility, although. He’s in simply the second percentile of dash pace. That lack of pace extends to his arm, the place he threw out simply 5 of 46 tried base-stealers. That places him among the many very worst within the league, and for a staff that wants defensive outs the place they will get it, it seems like a missed alternative. It was the worst he’s completed at this all through his profession, and, at 32 (turning 33 in August), it will not be a stretch to recommend it could worsen in 2026 and past. He’s not in whole shambles defensively, although: his .998 fielding share with simply two errors was tied for second on the place.
TLDR; simply give me his 2025 stats.
.259/.324/.404, 12 HR, 35 RBI, 2 E
Why would he be an excellent match on the 2025 Pink Sox?
The Pink Sox have reportedly kicked the tires on signing J.T. Realmuto earlier this offseason, and whether or not or not that was an “curiosity kings” trope, Caratini is cheaper than him, albeit a downgrade. Even with signing a brand new deal, many is likely to be uneasy understanding that Connor Wong is trotting into 2026 Opening Day as a lock as a backup catcher. Carlos Narvaez had a meniscus tear that was ailing him on the tail finish of 2025, leaving Wong to choose up extra at-bats and plenty of (myself included) to shut their eyes throughout these at-bats. Caratini offers extra energy, change hit versatility, and a a lot decrease strikeout price ought to he be thrust into that function.
Why wouldn’t he be an excellent match on the Pink Sox?
Newly acquired Willson Contreras performed catcher for 9 years earlier than a forearm harm plagued his pop pace and general skill behind the plate, however he could possibly be an excellent “break glass in case of emergency” possibility. Plus, as Mike Carlucci just lately wrote, the Pink Sox are simply certainly one of two groups alongside the Colorado Rockies to not make a free agent signing this season, and Caratini would value cash, as Fangraph’s crowdsourced AAV estimator locations his worth at about $6 million a 12 months. For a man who’s absolutely on the 26-man roster, that’s not dangerous, however for a alternative, it’d make the hairs on John Henry’s pockets wrist arise.
Present me a cool spotlight.
This ball in all probability shouldn’t have been hit for a house run, but it surely was.
It’s a go at this second, however a conditional one. If Connor Wong proves to be expendable to this 2026 staff (LOL) and Caratini continues to be out there, it could possibly be price kicking the tires. Whereas Caratini received’t be the quickest man on the roster, he does supply a defensive flooring to a staff that wants it whereas offering some energy to a staff that lacks a amount of men that may present it. Carlos Narvaez is a Gold Glove candidate and could possibly be a starter for years to return, however it may be essential to have a man with a beginning pedigree as your backup catcher, and Caratini offers that.
