A couple weeks ago, I took a brief look at who the Dodgers might target at the trade deadline. The usual suspect was there — Tarik Skubal — along with Joe Ryan and a couple catchers in Jonah Heim and Ben Rortvedt.
With Will Smith likely out until at least mid-August, it’s becoming a bit more of a concern. Dalton Rushing has been solid as the primary catcher, but the Dodgers having to choose between Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson as the third, now-backup, catcher, has been less than ideal. Going after someone like Heim would be a hedge against Smith’s neck not getting better, while Rortvedt would be a slight upgrade over Alfonzo and Robinson. But what other catchers might be available who would not only improve the No. 3 spot, but guard against Smith not fully recovering and not having to throw the entire catching workload on Rushing going forward?
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Let’s get this out of the way: No, the Dodgers aren’t trading for Hunter Goodman. Even if he didn’t play in the NL West, the Dodgers wouldn’t be trading for him. He has four years of team control and leads all catchers in home runs with 31 — his total from all of 2025. Same goes for Ryan Jeffers, who has finally broken out as a full-time starter for the Twins.
I previous looked at the minor-league options when it comes to catching, but outside of Jimmy Crooks or Pedro Pages of the Cardinals, there wasn’t an MLB-ready guy who could step in right away. So, let’s focus on guys in the majors who could be available. We’re going to focus on right-handed bats, as Rushing is fine against lefties (94 wRC+), but it’d make sense for the third guy to be able to hit lefties just a little bit.
As far as return goes, for the most part you’d hope it wouldn’t cost a ton more than the guys around the margins of the 40-man roster that Chad mentioned, though it’s possible it could require others from Bruce’s prospects list.
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Travis d’Arnaud, Angels
A former Dodger great, d’Arnaud has fallen off a bit offensively over the last couple years, but he has a career 111 wRC+ against left-handed pitching and is good enough behind the plate. He’s also 37 years old and has spent most of his 2026 on the injured list with a foot injury, but is in the middle of a rehab assignment and could be back soon.
Victor Caratini, Twins
A switch-hitter, Caratini is not the greatest option against left-handed pitchers (85 wRC+ vs. LHP this season, 90 for his career), but he’s a veteran with a little pop and is solid behind the plate. With the Twins looking to sell, he could be a relatively easy get. However, he’s signed through next season and has a mutual option for 2028. That’s a lot to pay for a No. 3 catcher. If Smith eventually moves to third base, a guy like Caratini would be the exact type to pair with Rushing, but that’s not in the cards, presently (or maybe ever).
Austin Hedges, Guardians
The Guardians traded for Patrick Bailey while having Patrick Bailey-lite in Hedges, but something has gotten into Hedges’ bat this season (115 wRC+, 54 wRC+ for his career). Maybe the Guardians try to cash in on the unlikely offensive production from one of the league’s best defensive catchers over the last decade-plus? You know, whatever a 34-year-old career backup catcher having an anomalous offensive season could bring in return.
Agustin Ramirez, Marlins
Ramirez was sent to the minors earlier this season after struggling (but not as much as you might think) to get going. He has a 98 wRC+ in Triple-A after posting a 91 wRC+ mark in his rookie season that saw him hit 21 home runs. While he’s intriguing since he has minor-league options and power, he’s not great with the glove, which could be a problem. Also, the Marlins would be selling low on a guy who looked like their catcher of the future just a year ago.
Tyler Stephenson, Reds
Stephenson once looked like a budding star behind the plate, but injuries and regression have sapped him of that distinction. Still, he’s solid against left-handed pitching (career 111 wRC+), has some good Statcast metrics and is one of the best catchers in the game at blocking pitches. He’s a free agent after the season and the Dodgers could probably get away with carrying him as the third catcher (during the season, at least) due to his power.
Luis Torrens, Mets
Torrens might be the best defensive catcher of the lot and might be the most attainable. The Mets are sellers and, despite not being a great hitter, Torrens is one of the best defenders in the game. That’s probably all you want out of your third catcher. The only stumbling block — like Caratini — might be his contract, as he’s signed through 2028 at an average annual value of $5.75 million.
Eduardo Valencia, Tigers
Valencia, 26, has debuted and has a 281 wRC+. OK, that’s a bit misleading since he has all of 13 plate appearances, but with Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers in tow, Valencia could be someone the Dodgers target (with or without Skubal) to improve on the fringes.
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The Dodgers might very well be OK with sticking with Alfonzo until Smith returns. They know for sure the severity of his neck injury. From an outside perspective, it seems they could use an upgrade at the No. 3 catcher spot regardless.
Andrew Friedman and Co., will have to thread the needle in being able to find a guy who could either warrant a 26-man roster spot for the duration of the season as a third catcher or someone who would be optioned to the minors once Smith returns. The possibilities exist, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Dodgers make a move for a catcher. If he lands one of the “bigger” names above (or someone not mentioned), perhaps they’re more concerned about Smith’s neck than they let on, publicly. If they land one of the “lesser” names, then this would simply be a move to upgrade on the fringes — which is all a team with this much talent should have to do at the trade deadline.
