How Friars might fine-tune behind the plate

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SAN DIEGO -- On the list of the Padres’ biggest remaining needs this offseason, catcher ranks a distant third.

First and foremost, they need starting pitching. One starter might be enough; two would be ideal. The Padres also need a first base/DH-type bat -- someone they can slot into the middle-third of their starting lineup.

In no uncertain terms, those are the priorities. But there’s still room to improve the catching situation.

The Padres should feel reasonably good about entering the season with Freddy Fermin as their projected No. 1 backstop. But it’ll be Fermin’s first crack at a starting-catcher role after years backing up Salvador Perez in Kansas City.

Not to mention, very few teams rely exclusively on only one catcher. It has become a timeshare position in recent years -- and the Padres could certainly use a better complement for Fermin.

Here’s where things stand:

Fermin as the starter
Acquired amid last summer’s Trade Deadline frenzy, Fermin performed admirably down the stretch -- especially considering the rigors of learning a new staff on the fly. His .617 OPS with San Diego left something to be desired. It was well below his career .685 mark. But Fermin proved a tough out and came up with some important hits down the stretch and in the postseason.

More importantly, Fermin earned solid marks for his defense. And the Padres are convinced he’ll be even better with a full offseason and Spring Training to acclimate to the pitching staff.

All things considered, the Padres can feel somewhat comfortable with Fermin as their primary option. But they shouldn’t be counting on him to handle a Salvy-like workload. Think of it this way: Fermin is 1A behind the plate. So who is 1B?

Who’s backing up?
Right now? Luis Campusano. That’s right, the one-time top prospect seems likely to get another chance to break through. But he’s running out of time. For the first time, Campusano enters a season out of Minor League options, meaning he would be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t make the roster.

There’s clearly upside with Campusano’s bat. He was one of the best hitters in all of Triple-A last season, batting .336 with a 1.036 OPS. I think Campusano deserves a chance to compete for a bench spot. I just think that, by now, we know what he is defensively. There’s a reason the Padres didn’t use him at all behind the plate in his 10 big league games last year.

The most realistic path to a roster spot for Campusano is as a potent righty bench bat -- and the team’s third catcher. So who’s the backup? Blake Hunt (taken by the Padres in the same Draft as Campusano before Hunt was traded to Tampa Bay) is back on a Minor League deal and will get a chance to compete.

But the current catching group is crying out for one more addition.

Who’s available?
There’s only one big-name option on the free-agent market: J.T. Realmuto. I suppose it’s possible, at the right price. But, realistically, the Padres would probably have to clear money elsewhere. (And, as a reminder, they have other, more urgent needs to address.)

After Realmuto, some familiar faces pop up. Here’s the list of available catchers with positive WAR from the past two seasons: Victor Caratini, Christian Vázquez, Elias Díaz, Reese McGuire, Austin Barnes and Gary Sánchez. Caratini, Díaz and Sánchez are all former Padres. Vázquez, meanwhile, had long been linked with San Diego in potential trades.

Of course, that’s another avenue the Padres could explore. General manager A.J. Preller has been quiet on the trade front this winter. Does anyone seriously think that will last until Opening Day?