Texas Rangers Veteran Pitched As Potential Replacement for Injured New York Mets Star

With just a few weeks until Opening Day rolls around, the Texas Rangers have to be happy with their outlook.

They have one of the deepest, most talented rosters in the game without a glaring hole. The only real concern right now is who will be their closer, as they don’t have anyone with extensive experience late in games after Kirby Yates and David Robertson both hit free agency this winter.

With an impressive depth chart, cuts are going to be difficult for the coaching staff and front office to make.

One of the positions which the team looks to be more set than several of their peers around the league is at catcher.

The Rangers are hoping that Jonah Heim, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2023, will return to form this year after a tough 2024. His production fell across the board, with a troubling decrease in power production.

To make sure another disappointing campaign wasn’t had behind the plate in 2025, Texas signed veteran Kyle Higashioka in free agency to complement Heim.

Coming off a career year with the San Diego Padres, it was a bit of a surprise to see him agree to a deal with a team that doesn’t have a clear path to starting full time. He did land a multi-year deal, as the two sides agreed to a two-year, $13.5 million pact with a mutual option for 2027.

If the power numbers for Higashioka are legit, as he hit a career-high 17 home runs last season, the Rangers lineup is going to be that much tougher to navigate.

The former New York Yankees prospect wasn’t the only addition that Texas made to their catching depth this offseason as they also signed veteran Tucker Barnhart to a one-year, $1 million deal.

He looks to be organizational depth for the franchise as a non-roster invitee that seems ticketed for a spot with Triple-A unless an injury occurs to Heim or Higashioka over the next few weeks.

However, he may not be long for the organization.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post (subscription required) has mentioned Barnhart as a potential target for the New York Mets, who are now on the lookout for a replacement for the injured Francisco Alvarez.

The young backstop suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand that will sideline him for 6-to-8 weeks.

A two-time Gold Glove winner, Barnhart provides elite defense behind the plate. It is likely the only thing keeping him on the radar of Big League teams, as he leaves a lot to be desired at the plate as a hitter.

Last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he produced a .173/.287/.210 slash line across 96 plate appearances. He has been in the Major Leagues for parts of 11 years and has not registered an OPS+ in triple digits, performing below league average all 11 seasons.

Barnhart has been hitting well in spring training with a .389/.421/.444 slash line in 19 plate appearances, which is encouraging.

His track record suggests that is a fluke, but at the very least, he would provide the Mets with a great defensive player and mentor to help Alvarez in his development behind the plate.

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