In an ongoing series, we'll take a look at possible free-agent and trade targets for the Texas Rangers this winter.
Target: Evan Gattis, C
2014 stats: .263 batting average, .317 on-base percentage, 17 doubles, 22 home runs, 52 RBIs, .994 fielding percentage, 20 percent caught-stealing rate
Gattis has seemingly fallen out of favor in Atlanta after exploding on to the scene as a rookie in 2013 and being in the NL Rookie of the Year discussion. He's 28 years old and he's a Dallas native as a Bishop Lynch grad who went on to play at UT-Permian Basin in Odessa. He's a solid defensive catcher, though his throw-out rate isn't close to that of Robinson Chirinos in 2014, but he has something Chirinos doesn't have — pop, and lots of it.
Gattis is one of the more powerful hitters among MLB catchers, eclipsing 20 homers in each of his two big-league seasons. He still has four years left before he's a free agent and will likely make somewhere around a half-million dollars in 2015 as a pre-arb player. So with his contract situation, the Braves would want a lot in return for Gattis, but he'd be a guy that could pair with Chirinos and then, down the road, Jorge Alfaro. He's also seen significant time in his career in the outfield and some minimal time at first base, so he's a versatile player with a power bat, and he's a Texas boy. Seems like a good fit, right?
