Nats know they need better production from catchers in 2018

As the start of spring training fast approaches, we're breaking down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the catching corps ...

The Nationals knew they'd be undergoing a change at catcher in 2017 after Wilson Ramos departed via free agency, and they knew it would be difficult to make up for Ramos' All-Star production. Little did they know just how difficult, though, or how precipitous the dropoff would be.

The club's initial plan involved Derek Norris, the former prospect who had been dealt to the Athletics five years earlier but was reacquired via a trade with the Padres. But all along, Matt Wieters remained available on the open market, and by the second week of spring training, agent Scott Boras had convinced the Nats - specifically ownership moreso than general manager Mike Rizzo - to sign the former Oriole to a one-year deal with a second-year player option.

That left the club with little choice but to release Norris at the end of the spring; he quickly was scooped up by the Rays. As disappointing as that was for many supporters at the time, it may have been a blessing in disguise in the end, because later in the summer, Tampa Bay released Norris following an accusation of domestic abuse.

Wieters was a model citizen and is extremely well-liked within the clubhouse and front office, but he endured through a ragged season on the field. Though he started off well and hit .301 with a .934 OPS in April, his production steadily declined the rest of the way. And with backup Jose Lobaton struggling even worse, former manager Dusty Baker had to keep playing Wieters, wearing him down further.

By season's end, Wieters posted career lows in batting average (.225), on-base percentage (.288) and OPS (.632). He still caught 118 games, a number higher than the Nationals anticipated for him and one they intend to reduce this season, hoping that will keep him fresher and perhaps more productive.

Recognizing the need for improvement out of the catching position, the Nats pursued several alternate options this winter. But they lost out on free agent Alex Avila, who got a two-year deal from the Diamondbacks, and to date they've been unable to work out terms of a trade for J.T. Realmuto of the Marlins, who have insisted on receiving one of the Nationals' top outfield prospects (Victor Robles or Juan Soto) in return.

So last week the club turned to a fallback option, signing veteran Miguel Montero to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp. The 34-year-old had a rough 2017 with the Cubs and Blue Jays that included not only offensive and defensive struggles but issues within Chicago's clubhouse, but he has a track record as a decent left-handed bat and Rizzo knows him well from their days together in Arizona.

Montero isn't assured of an opening day roster spot, though, not with the Nationals still high on Pedro Severino. The 24-year-old has long been touted as the organization's catcher of the future, but he's received only minimal opportunity to show what he's got on the major league stage. Several club officials believe now is the time to find out if he is the long-term answer or not, so expect Severino to get a serious look this spring and perhaps even challenge Wieters for playing time if he makes the team.

The Nationals still have a couple of young catchers waiting in the wings in the minors, as well. Raudy Read made his major league debut last fall. The 24-year-old appears to have higher offensive upside than Severino but needs to make significant strides behind the plate. Spencer Kieboom was dropped from the 40-man roster last year but remains an in-house option.