Ty France became a free agent at the start of the offseason when the Reds cut him from their 40-man roster. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com Tweets that the former Mariner is open to opportunities if he attracts interest from other teams. Feinsand adds that France has already received at least one guaranteed contract offer, although it's not clear how many teams (if any) view him as a realistic option to work behind the plate.
France has never played catcher in an MLB or minor league game. However, he is not completely unfamiliar with the position. A member of the Padres early in his career, France filled in as catching rep at the team's alternate training site during the canceled 2020 minor league season. He was reportedly viewed as a potential emergency catcher by both San Diego and Seattle, although neither team ever found themselves in a situation where they were forced to use him.
As a 30-year-old with no in-game catching experience, France is likely just a third catcher or emergency option. It would be a big task for him to get used to the receiving and game-handling nuances, even if he only works semi-regularly at the position. Still, it can hardly hurt for France to express his willingness to consider catching if a team offers him the opportunity.
France's lack of defensive capability is its biggest disadvantage. Although he has some experience at both second and third base, he does not have the quickness to play either position regularly. France played almost exclusively first base in 2024. He also received poor defensive marks there. Defensive Runs Saved rated him at seven runs below average, while Statcast estimated he was nine runs below average.
For a few years, France made up for this minimal defensive profile with great performance at the plate. He combined for a strong .284/.354/.441 average between the 2020 deadline deal that sent him to Seattle and the end of the '22 season. His production dropped to a .250/.337 line in 2023 /.366. The decline continued this year as France posted a .223/.312/.350 start before the Mariners designated him for assignment. A move to the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park didn't spark a spark in his bat. France hit .251/.292/.391 in 52 games for the Reds.
FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each rated France's performance in 2024 below replacement level. That made it an obvious call for Cincinnati not to offer him an arbitration deal, which likely would have been more than $8 million. It wasn't ruled out that France would limit themselves to minor league offers, but Feinsand's report suggests there is at least one team willing to give him an opening day job. This will most likely be a low base salary, perhaps with incentives based on his games or plate appearances.
