Padres can steal value by betting on non-tendered former All-Star catcher

The non-tender deadline is now behind us. One major player was non-tendered by the Texas Rangers - Adolis Garcia - but that is not who the San Diego Padres should be looking at.

The Friars should be checking in on 2023 All-Star and Gold Glove catcher Jonah Heim, who the Rangers wanted no part with and his projected $6 million salary. Although there are better options for the Padres to pursue at catcher, Heim can still bring value to San Diego that would be a solid complement to Freddy Fermin (or Luis Campusano?!) behind the dish.

Jonah Heim would be a serviceable backup catcher for the Padres in 2026

Heim has seen a decline in his offensive contribution over the last two seasons. The 30-year-old was batting over .260 by the end of May, but saw that average plummet to .213 for the 2025 season. He just wasn't able to make solid contact, but his strikeout rate remained superb (88 strikeouts in 124 games).

It's fine to admit that Heim isn't the same player as he was a couple of years ago, but he was a much stronger hitter when he was catching this past season. In 27 games as a designated hitter with the Rangers in 2025, Heim was a .165 batter with two home runs and 23 punch-outs across 27 games. Those numbers damaged his overall stat line harshly.

In 92 games a catcher, Heim registered a 109 tOPS+ with nine home runs, a batting average 62 points higher (.227), and 62 strikeouts. There is clearly a connection to him playing catcher and being a better hitter (while striking out less) than just being slotted to DH. Maybe it's a mental thing where being the DH takes him out of the game a bit. It's difficult being a designated hitter - you have so few chances to make an imprint on the game. That's the complete opposite of a catcher's role.

Heim clearly thrives more as a catcher. So, teams should probably play to his strengths. Think about it, if Heim comes to San Diego, he would be a solid catcher playing two or three times a week to give Fermin some rest. For what it's worth, Heim also has three home runs and eight RBIs in 17 career postseason games. There's value here. The Padres just need to pursue it at the right price.