As the Cincinnati Reds work on their offseason 40-man roster, which includes reinstating nearly a dozen players from the 60-day injured list, there will be a lot of player movement over the next couple of months.
The Reds took the first step Friday and they lost three catchers trying to clear waivers. Aramis Garcia and Mark Kolozsvary were claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, and Michael Papierski was claimed by the Detroit Tigers.
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Three other players cleared waivers, right-handed pitchers Raynel Espinal and Ryan Hendrix, along with catcher Chuckie Robinson, and were taken off the 40-man roster.
The Reds had 11 players on their 60-day IL at the end of the season, though lefty reliever Justin Wilson will become a free agent after the playoffs end. Wilson underwent Tommy John surgery in June and will likely miss at least the first couple of months of the 2023 season.
Garcia, who was the backup catcher on the Opening Day roster, played in 47 games and he was sidelined for two months because of a fractured middle finger in his left hand. The 29-year-old Garcia hit .213 with one homer, two doubles and four RBI in 108 at-bats, producing a .248 on-base percentage.
Kolozsvary, 27, was billed as one of the top defensive catchers in the organization, starting for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He made his MLB debut this year, playing in 10 games, but he hit .168 in 42 games at Triple-A.
The Reds claimed Papierski off waivers from the San Francisco Giants in June and he split time with Garcia when Stephenson was injured. Papierski, 26, hit .159 in 34 games with the Reds with one homer and one double in 82 at-bats.
Robinson ended the season as the Reds’ backup catcher, behind Austin Romine, and remains in the organization after clearing waivers. Robinson, who will turn 28 in December, hit .136 in 25 games with two homers and two doubles in 59 at-bats.
Stephenson will be the Reds’ only catcher on the 40-man roster once free agency begins. Romine, who will enter free agency, had a positive effect on the Reds’ pitching staff, particularly Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene, and the Reds will likely prioritize signing a veteran backup catcher in the offseason.
Hendrix allowed nine hits and five runs in 8 1/3 innings this season (5.40 ERA), striking out nine and walking six. Espinal made two relief appearances.
The Reds currently have 34 players on their 40-man roster, which doesn’t include the players on the 60-day IL. The Reds will add several prospects – shortstop Elly De La Cruz, shortstop Noelvi Marte, left-hander Brandon Williamson and right-hander Levi Stoudt, among others – to the 40-man roster in November to protect them from December’s Rule 5 Draft.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds offseason roster: Three catchers claimed off waivers