Luke Maile

A fine defensive catcher, Maile slashed .221/.301/.326 through 206 plate appearances in 2022. He missed a handful of weeks early in the season before rejoining the Guardians and serving as backup to Austin Hedges. Maile was non-tendered by Cleveland but quickly latched on with the Reds. Cincinatti has Tyler Stephenson as its primary catcher and signed Curt Casali to be the top backup, so Maile shouldn't serve as anything more than the No. 3 option in 2023, barring injuries.

Maile received a career-high 231 plate appearances last season and performed competently enough, hitting .248/.333/.366. Nothing about those numbers excites, and he hit just three homers, but the line was good for a 95 wRC+, perfectly adequate for a catcher. Combined with good framing numbers, Maile looks primed for a lengthy run in the big leagues as a backup. Danny Jansen is the future for the Blue Jays behind the plate, so Maile will likely be stuck fighting with Reese McGuire for the leftover opportunities after Russell Martin was traded to the Dodgers in January.

Maile fared better in his 2016 stint with the Rays than he had in his 2015 cup of coffee, slashing .227/.252/.361 over 119 at-bats. He finished the season ice-cold at the plate, however, hitting just .171 over his last 41 at-bats. Given his limited experience with major league pitching, it's perhaps unsurprising that Maile had significant trouble making contact, posting a bloated 28.6 percent strikeout rate and making contact at only a 72.2 percent clip. With the addition of Wilson Ramos in free agency, Maile will compete with Curt Casali for the backup role upon Ramos' return from a torn ACL. There is little in his profile to suggest he will hit enough to be more than a backup in the long run.

Maile made his debut in 2015 in the form of a September cup of coffee and hit about as badly one would expect from his minor leagues numbers. His .171/.171/.257 line in 35 plate appearances was roughly equivalent to his .207/.298/.296 line at Triple-A. The lack of walks could be chalked up to nervous aggression, but the fact remains that he has not shown any ability to hit the ball in the upper levels. He was called up to fill in for Rene Rivera and Curt Casali when they were hurt, meaning he’ll probably open 2016 back in Durham. He should remain a depth option for Tampa Bay though he’ll be behind Casali, Rivera and J.P. Arencibia on depth charts while also having to compete with top catching prospect Justin O’Conner for future roles. Maybe Maile is able to find a spot in the majors due to extreme circumstances, but it’s more likely he continues hitting around .200 at Durham in 2016.