The Rays have been waiting for years to develop a long-term answer at catcher. The club hasn't had a notable homegrown backstop since John Jaso -- and even then, he produced just 3.0 total WAR from 2008-11 before moving on to more success with other teams.
However, the solution to their decades-long problem may not be far off, 800 miles northwest at High-A Bowling Green.
In fact, there may be two big league-caliber catchers suiting up for the Hot Rods: Nathan Flewelling (TB No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 86) and Caden Bodine (TB No. 12).
Yes, Bowling Green has perhaps the best catching duo in the Minor Leagues, now that Bodine has been promoted from Single-A Charleston. The duo represents a great opportunity for the Rays, as well as an interesting developmental question.
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For now, the Rays' plan is to have both players spend three days per week catching and three days DHing. They're getting everyday at-bats -- and are both hitting well above league average -- while making up for missing time behind the plate by catching side sessions from starting pitchers.
"We are hoping that having them together, they're able to push each other and see who's actually going to take more reps," Bowling Green manager Rafael Valenzuela said. "But it's been a lot of fun just to watch them work together and the conversations that they have in between innings. You can see that they like each other, they like playing with each other, they like pushing each other. You see it in the early work during games, so it's been pretty neat."
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Valenzuela sees plenty of similarities between the catchers. For one, their maturity stands out, even despite Flewelling playing the entire season at age 19 and Bodine being in his sixth month with the organization since arriving in the Shane Baz trade.
The Rays have routinely challenged Flewelling since they selected him in the third round of the 2024 Draft, especially considering he had limited catching experience playing high school ball in Alberta. He reached Single-A at age 18 last year and more than held his own with a .393 OBP that ranked fourth in the Carolina League. The 6-foot-2 left-handed-hitter still stands out for his impressive plate discipline this season, but his power is also emerging more with a career-high 10 homers in just 50 games.
Bodine, the 30th overall selection last July, is a polished switch-hitter who rarely misses from either side of the plate. Per Synergy Sports, he has a 90 percent contact rate, including a 93 percent mark against fastballs and a 95 percent figure in-zone. While he wasn't known for his power at Coastal Carolina, he, too, is tapping into that more with eight homers and 25 extra-base hits through 51 games. Between two levels, he is slashing .346/.410/.556 in his first full season.
Valenzuela had balanced a pair of "priority" catching prospects before, such as Dom Keegan (TB No. 20) and Kenny Piper in 2023. Inevitably, he's found one player end up getting more time behind the plate, whether because of stronger play, injuries or a promotion. For now, he's reveling in the catching quality he gets to work with.
This level of talent is rare at any Minor League affiliate. Across 202 affiliated Minor League teams, there are just nine with multiple catchers ranked on a team's Top 30 Prospects list. Some duos are close, such as Erie's Josue Briceño (DET No. 3/MLB No. 64) and Thayron Liranzo (DET No. 5) -- although the former is injured -- and Quad Cities' Blake Mitchell (KC No. 1/MLB No. 52) and Ramon Ramirez (KC No. 7), but none has the combination of floor, ceiling and likelihood of sticking at behind the plate that Flewelling and Bodine possess.
"I've been in this league for now four years, and I haven't seen a duo like this one," Valenzuela said. "We let our pitchers know that as well. You guys are spoiled right now because you have two of the best catchers in baseball with Caden and Nathan. So, let's take advantage of that. Let's try to work together. Let's try to all develop each other. I can honestly say that I am truly blessed to have two guys with the potential to play in the big leagues for a very, very long time."