Diamondbacks asking around about catching, but finding price is too high - MLB

After dealing Miguel Montero to the Cubs in December, the Diamondbacks currently project to go with a combination of Tuffy Gosewisch and Oscar Hernandez behind the plate. Who, you might ask? Exactly. With that in mind, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic hears that the Diamondbacks have asked the Cubs about Welington Castillo and the Blue Jays about Dioner Navarro. However, Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart says the club isn’t making much progress in trade talks.

“We’ve not made a whole lot of headway in that area yet,” Stewart said. “Without really giving up something that’s going to cost us a player that we don’t want to give away, we don’t have a whole lot of motion yet.”

With an obvious need behind the plate, the Diamondbacks don’t have much leverage at the moment, so Stewart says that teams are asking for their “top guys” — meaning top prospects — in return. He’s not willing to budge right now.

Gosewisch, 31, owns a .213/.225/.287 batting line over 55 games in the majors. Hernandez, 21, was selected from the Rays in the Rule 5 Draft in December and batted .249/.301/.401 with nine home runs and 63 RBI over 94 games last season in A-ball. Barring any changes in the coming days, they’ll have to hope that the rest of their lineup makes up for what could be the weakest catching tandem in the majors.

Follow @djshort

SAN DIEGO — The scuffling San Diego Padres claimed catcher Gary Sánchez off waivers from the New York Mets.

The two-time All-Star was designated for assignment after playing in three games for the Mets. He went 1 for 6 with three strikeouts and an RBI, looking shaky at times behind the plate.

With the disappointing Padres (24-29) getting meager offensive production at catcher, they hope Sánchez can provide a boost. Austin Nola is batting .131 with three extra-base hits and a paltry .434 OPS in 39 games. His part-time platoon partner, second-stringer Brett Sullivan, is hitting .170 with four extra-base hits and a .482 OPS in 21 games since getting called up from the minors April 16.

Luis Campusano has been on the injured list since April 17 and is expected to be sidelined until around the All-Star break following left thumb surgery.

San Diego is responsible for just over $1 million in salary for Sánchez after assuming his $1.5 million, one-year contract.

The star-studded Padres have lost seven of 11 and are 3-3 on a nine-game East Coast trip. They open a three-game series at Miami.

San Diego becomes the third National League team to take a close look at the 30-year-old Sánchez this season. He spent time in the minors with San Francisco before getting released May 2 and signing a minor league contract a week later with the Mets, who were minus a couple of injured catchers at the time.

After hitting well in a short stint at Triple-A Syracuse, he was promoted to the big leagues May 19. When the Mets reinstated catcher Tomás Nido from the injured list last week, Sánchez was cut.

Sánchez’s best seasons came early in his career with the New York Yankees, where he was runner-up in 2016 AL Rookie of the Year voting and made the AL All-Star team in 2017 and 2019.

He was traded to Minnesota before the 2022 season and batted .205 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 128 games last year.

With the Padres, Sánchez could also be a candidate for at-bats at designated hitter, where 42-year-old Nelson Cruz is batting .245 with three homers, 16 RBIs and a .670 OPS, and 37-year-old Matt Carpenter is hitting .174 with four homers, 21 RBIs and a .652 OPS.