The Dodgers’ catching situation has turned into one of those quiet roster problems that can get loud in a hurry.
Will Smith has been out since June 6 with neck inflammation that was later diagnosed as an inflamed disc. What started with the expectation of a one-game absence has stretched all the way to the 60-day injured list, and there still isn’t a clear timetable for his return. That leaves Los Angeles leaning heavily on Dalton Rushing, the former top prospect who has handled the job well enough, batting .242 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs and an .797 OPS.
The issue is what comes next. Beyond Rushing, the Dodgers don’t have another catcher they can trust much, which makes the position feel a little too thin for a club trying to get through the final months of the season without a hiccup. If Smith’s return remains uncertain, and Rushing misses any time, the Dodgers could be in real trouble.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer floated a deal that would send Tyler Stephenson from the Cincinnati Reds to Los Angeles in exchange for outfielder Ryan Ward.
Stephenson, 29, is playing on an expiring $6.8 million contract, which makes him a clean fit for a Dodgers team that only needs help for the next few months. He’s hitting .249 in 78 games with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and a .726 OPS, and he’d give the Dodgers a right-handed complement to Rushing’s left-handed bat.
The defense isn’t exactly the selling point for either catcher, but Stephenson does rank in the 99th percentile in Blocks Above Average. More importantly for the Dodgers, he’d function as insurance if Smith can’t make it back, while also giving Rushing more regular rest so he doesn’t get worn down before October.
The price tag, at least on the surface, looks steep for a player who might not even crack the postseason roster if everything breaks right. But Ward is also at the point where a path with the Dodgers just doesn’t seem to exist.
Now 28, Ward finally got his MLB debut this season when Freddie Freeman went on the paternity list, then returned for a longer look after Teoscar Hernández was injured. In 20 big league games, he hit .218 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and an .738 OPS. He was the reigning Pacific Coast League MVP, and the idea is that a team like Cincinnati could give him the everyday opportunity he hasn’t been able to find in Los Angeles.
A Ward trade feels likely within the next 10 days. Whether the Dodgers use him in a deal like this or in a move more aimed at the farm system, the bigger point is clear: adding a catcher would be a direct move to support their push for a third straight World Series title.
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