The Cincinnati Reds are in need of a reliable catcher to back up Jose Trevino. Starting catcher Tyler Stephenson will start the 2025 season on the injured list due to an oblique injury.
The situation worsened when Trevino left a spring training game a couple of weeks ago, but the former Platinum Glove Award winner has since been cleared to play on Opening Day.
Currently, the leading candidate to serve as the Reds’ backup catcher on Opening Day is Austin Wynns. A non-roster invitee, Wynns brings considerable experience and has been with the Reds throughout the entire spring training.
Meanwhile, former Reds catcher Luke Maile is a free agent once more. After spending two years with his hometown team, the Reds parted ways with Maile this past winter.
The northern Kentucky native initially joined the Reds on a one-year deal before being re-signed the following offseason. However, Cincinnati opted not to pick up his club option for 2025, and Maile signed with the Kansas City Royals last month.
Luke Maile’s release from the KC Royals offers an opportunity for a reunion, but the Reds should avoid it
Luke Maile was released this past week, despite putting up solid numbers in the Royals’ spring camp. The 34-year-old appeared in 10 games, batting .333/.391/.571 with two doubles, a home run, and even a stolen base during his brief time in Kansas City.
However, the Reds may be hesitant to bring Maile back. The main reason Cincinnati parted ways with him during the offseason was due to his poor offensive performance. After putting up respectable numbers as a backup catcher in 2023, Maile’s production plummeted last season. His OPS dropped from .699 in 2023 to .520 in 2024, with an on-base percentage of just .268.
To make matters worse, Maile’s defensive metrics also took a dive. After finishing in the 70th percentile for both caught stealing above average (2) and pop time (1.93 seconds), Maile’s defensive stats worsened. He ended up below average in both of those categories, and his framing was among the worst in baseball.
If a reunion with Maile is limited to a minor-league contract to add depth to the Louisville Bats in Triple-A, that would be acceptable.
However, Maile shouldn’t be considered as a replacement for Austin Wynns. Tyler Stephenson’s injury isn’t expected to keep him out for long, so a combination of Trevino and Wynns should be sufficient to hold things down until Stephenson returns.
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