Curt Casali Retires

"In a move that wasn't publicly reported earlier this season, longtime catcher Curt Casali retired and took a job in the Reds front office, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Casali signed a minor league deal with the Braves last winter but was released before the end of Spring Training, and he didn't play at all in 2025."

"The nature of his duties with the Reds isn't specified, but Slusser wonders if Casali could emerge as a future managerial candidate....even as soon as this winter as the Giants look for a new dugout boss. That would continue the trend of catchers moving into managerial jobs, and Slusser notes that Buster Posey (obviously a former backstop himself) seems to be looking at ex-catchers in the early stages of San Francisco's managerial search."

"Casali was mostly a part-time over his four seasons with the Rays, but he received the bulk of the catching duties in 2016, playing in 84 games and making 256 plate appearances. He didn't hit much during that extended look, however, and Casali left the Rays organization and bounced around to a few teams on minors deals, including a return to Tampa Bay before the Rays dealt him to the Reds in May 2018."

Curt Casali retired at age 36 after 11 Major League seasons and accepted a position in the Cincinnati Reds front office. He signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves last winter but was released before the end of spring training and did not play during the 2025 season. His specific front-office responsibilities have not been disclosed, and he could be considered for a managerial role as teams including San Francisco evaluate former catchers for managerial openings. Casali played for the Giants in 2021–22 and 2024, served as Buster Posey's backup in 2021, and produced strong seasons with Cincinnati from 2018–20.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors