MESA, Ariz. — The Dodgers have been saying it for years now – with the World Baseball Classic only confirming their contention – that they have the best catching duo in baseball.
Will Smith and Austin Barnes are off to chase glory on the world stage, with Smith set to pick up significant time behind the plate for Team USA and Barnes expected to be the main catcher for Team Mexico.
The situation leaves the Dodgers without a main catcher in camp just three weeks before the regular season. And if both players have their wish, they won’t be back for some time as the chase a WBC title.
“I think if you look at the catching (around baseball) as far as the net of run prevention, (production) in the batter’s box, taking down at that position 650 plate appearances, catching that many innings, I just don’t see any duo better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Yeah, it speaks to both of those guys getting to play for Team USA and Team Mexico. It certainly speaks to our catching situation here.”
With both players away, it has created a unique scenario where the rest of the depth chart will be able to play late in the spring as pitchers move closer to what their workload will be once the regular season arrives.
Patrick Mazeika, 29, received the start Wednesday against the Mariners and guided the pitching staff to six scoreless innings. Mazeika made his long-awaited major-league debut in 2021 with the New York Mets while playing 37 games, then played 24 more games with the Mets last season.
In Thursday’s game against the Oakland Athletics, David Freitas received the start behind home plate. Freitas, 33, has 59 games of major-league experience over the past three seasons with the Mariners, Braves and Brewers.
Also getting playing time in Cactus League games will be Hunter Feduccia, a 25-year-old 12th-round draft pick in 2018, and the No. 1 catcher in waiting, Diego Cartaya, a 21-year-old from Venezuela who played in the Futures Game during All-Star…
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