The catcher position remains one of the Washington Nationals’ biggest needs. Despite Riley Adams coming back for 2026 and Keibert Ruiz under contract for a longer period of time, that is not good enough. There have been suggestions the Nats could run it back with the same catching core, but I don’t think that would be a good idea. To me, veteran Victor Caratini would be a perfect fit for DC.
I know Paul Toboni has talked a lot about how players on the roster need to shift gears, but it would be irresponsible not to make changes behind the plate. The Nats’ two primary catchers last year, Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams, combined for -1.6 fWAR last year. Fangraphs wrote about the catastrophe that overtook the Nats at one point last year.
Simply put, last year was a total disaster. Adams and Ruiz were liabilities on both sides of the ball and did not play top-level ball. Toboni can talk about internal improvement all he wants, but not all answers come from within. With that in mind, Victor Caratini would be a very good target for the Nats.
Unlike the Nats current crop of catchers, Caratini is solid on both sides of the ball. He has been an above-average hitter each of the past two seasons wRC+ figures of 112 and 104. Caratini also hit one career high 12 home runs despite only playing 114 games.
Caratini is far from a star, but he has some strong qualities. He is a switch hitter who is solid on both sides of the plate. Last season, Caratini had a .740 OPS as a right-handed hitter and a .726 OPS as a left-hander. For being careerhe also had no major platoon splits. Most switch hitters are better from one side, but Caratini is solid on both sides of the plate.
That means he can play against right- and left-handers. His suitability for different matchups is a very useful skill. Caratini also has versatility on his side. He has split time between catcher, first base and DH in recent years. That’s not because he’s a bad defender. It’s more about getting his bat into the lineup as the Astros play their starting catcher Yainer Diaz.
His ability to fill in at first base or DH is valuable to a Nats team that could use help at both spots. However, Caratini would mainly be brought in to catch. He had a bit of a down year defensively in 2025, but that was it first time he has scored negatively as a defender since 2021. Even in 2025, he was much better defensively than Ruiz or Adams.
Although Caratini was a bit negative as a framer last year, historically he has been very good. Given his track record, he should return to being at least an average framer, which would be a huge upgrade for the Nats.
The Nats catching room is currently full of bodies with Drew Millas, Riley Adams and Keibert Ruiz. However, it is not filled with quality. Adams was a non-tender prospect, but he was brought back because of his offensive tools, such as his bat speed. However, he did return on a split deal, so it’s possible he’ll play in the Minor Leagues next year.
Ruiz is also a big question mark. His play on the field was poor, but he is now also at high risk of injury. The 27-year-old suffered from a nasty concussion during the second half of the season. Ruiz suffered two concussions in a few weeks. That head injury put his future behind the plate in jeopardy.
While Drew Millas has shown promise when he has played, he has never been given a real opportunity despite the Nats having problems. Maybe that will happen under the new regime, but the fact that they brought Adams back is significant. He’s also coming off an injury and his production in AAA hasn’t been great.
The Nationals need a starting catcher, end of story. Whether it’s this offseason or later, I find it hard to believe the future of the position is currently on the roster. At 32, Caratini is also unlikely to be the future, but he will be a good stopgap. He would probably provide the best catch the Nats have had since Yan Gomes.
While I trust Toboni’s plan, I really hope the new regime doesn’t abandon it. We’ve seen Ruiz and Adams disappointed for so long. At 27 and 29 years old, they are no longer young people. This is a position the Nats desperately need to upgrade and Victor Caratini would be a good option.
It wouldn’t be too expensive either. A one-year deal for $10 million or a two-year deal for around $17 million feel like fair propositions to him. Victor Caratini is far from an elite player, but he is so much better than what the Nats have had in recent years. I just want to know what the average catcher’s game looks like again.
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