Dodgers Suddenly Release Catcher After 2 Strong Months With Organization

The 24-year-old had a .295 average and .948 OPS in Double-A.

A hat and glove of an Los Angeles Dodgers player durng a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on April 28, 2024. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Tulsa Drillers, the Los Angles Dodgers' Double-A affiliate, transferred catcher Hayden Gilliland to the development list on July 28.

Gilliland had a surprising .948 OPS in his brief time with the Drillers, but with catcher Nelson Quiroz returning from an injury, Tulsa didn't need a third catcher on its roster.

Gilliland remained parked on the development list, while Quiroz picked up where he left off in April, going 5-for-9 in his first two games back.

This week, the Dodgers released Gilliland from his minor league contract, two days shy of his two-month anniversary in the organization.

Gilliland, 24, was an impressive hitter in 44 plate appearances across 13 games. He slashed .295/.380/.568 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. His .948 OPS was only a shade behind outfielder Josue De Paula's .972.

While De Paula is on every Top 100 prospect list, Gilliland was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays out of Tennessee Tech with a .754 OPS with the Jays' advanced Class-A affiliate when the Dodgers signed him in July.

Why The Dodgers Released Hayden Gilliland

Gilliland appears to be a victim of a numbers game, with Quiroz healthy and another homegrown catcher (Frank Rodriguez) both hitting reasonably well at Tulsa.

Quiroz, whom the Dodgers signed out of Mexico as an amateur free agent in 2019, is slashing .338/.395/.866. Rodriguez, a Dominican catcher, was part of the same international signing class. He's played 53 games at Tulsa this year and slashed .276/.353/.453.

The Dodgers have invested enough time and money in Quiroz and Rodriguez that Gilliland wasn't going to displace their playing time, despite his strong numbers at the plate.

Dodgers Minor League Catching Depth

The Dodgers' catching situation was dealt a couple unexpected injury blows in recent months. Will Smith's neck injury has kept him off the field since June 5. His backup, Dalton Rushing, was placed on the injured list Aug. 3 with a torn ligament in his right elbow.

The injuries led the Dodgers to trade for two of their former catchers, Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt, in separate deals ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. and Chuckie Robinson are back in Triple-A after the trades, effectively preventing any other catcher in the organization from grabbing an increased share of playing time.

Perhaps Gilliland did enough during his brief time as a Dodger to impress another organization, and will get another short look before the 2026 season is over.

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