After Yasmani Grandal left in free agency to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers, perhaps the biggest need for the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason was the catcher position.
The club was linked to the best catcher in baseball, J.T. Realmuto, in trade discussions, but the Miami Marlins instead dealt him to the Philadelphia Phillies for a haul of players the Dodgers weren’t willing to match.
For the Dodgers, their solution ended up being a familiar face in Russell Martin after they acquired him in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. He and Austin Barnes head into Spring Training as the two Major League catchers, with top prospects Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith waiting in the wings.