Carter Bins

CARTER BINS, CATCHER
Born: October 7, 1998
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 200
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 11th Round, 336th Overall, 2019 (Mariners)
How Acquired: Trade (with Mariners)
College: California State University, Fresno
Agent:

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE
Seattle drafted Bins in the 11th round as a college junior and paid him an above-slot bonus.  He was athletic in college with good speed, but his build is heavier now.  He has a strong arm and receiving skills that are considered potentially good but in need of some work.  In the minors so far he’s had trouble with passed balls and errors.  At the plate, Bins has above-average raw power with a patient approach that leads to high walk and strikeout rates.  According to FanGraphs he has plus bat speed, while Baseball America states that his bat speed is below average.

2019
A-:  208/391/357, 154 AB, 2 2B, 7 HR, 33 BB, 56 K, 5-7 SB

Bins didn’t have a great debut overall, but certainly showed signs of becoming a three-true-outcomes hitter.  He threw out 50% of base stealers.  Baseball America and FanGraphs both ranked him 29th in a very deep Seattle system.

2020
DNP

The pandemic wiped out Bins’ season.

2021
A+ (Sea):  284/422/493, 148 AB, 10 2B, 7 HR, 32 BB, 54 K, 1-4 SB
AA (Sea):  063/302/156, 32 AB, 1 HR, 10 BB, 13 K, 2-2 SB
AA:  200/333/236, 55 AB, 2 2B, 10 BB, 19 K

Bins went to high A and had a much stronger season.  He still struck out a lot, but hit for power and average, and drew a great many walks.  His CS% dropped to just 16%.  He advanced significantly in prospect observers’ evaluations; BA stated that he would have ranked 11th in the Seattle system.  Bins got a mid-season promotion to AA and was traded to the Pirates soon after.  Bins struggled in AA both before and after the trade.  He played only twice after mid-August due to a wrist injury.

2022
AA:  130/216/283, 46 AB, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 21 K, 2-2 SB
AAA:  208/298/408, 245 AB, 13 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 25 BB, 100 K, 2-2 SB

Bins opened the season back at Altoona, but even though he struggled severely there, the Pirates moved him up to Indianapolis in early May when Henry Davis joined the Curve from Greensboro.  At Indy, Bins started off hitting about like he did in AA.  In June, though, he started putting together a decent-ish season at the plate.  That amounted to hitting for moderate power with a passable walk rate, a very low average and an alarming K rate.  He hit RHPs a little better than LHPs.  Bins didn’t do well with the running game, throwing out just 13% between the two levels.

Bins is now eligible for the Rule 5 draft, but the Pirates didn’t add him to the roster and he wasn’t selected.  Judging by their interest in no-bat minor league veterans, they don’t even seem to regard Bins as catching depth.  He had a good spring as a non-roster invitee, but the Pirates demoted him to Altoona.
CONTRACT INFORMATION
2023: Minor league contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: $350,000
MiLB Debut: 2019
MLB Debut:
MiLB FA Eligible: 2025
MLB FA Eligible:
Rule 5 Eligible: 2022
Added to 40-Man:
Options Remaining: 3
MLB Service Time: 0.000
TRANSACTIONS
June 11, 2016: Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 35th round, 1037th overall pick.
June 5, 2019: Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round, 336th overall pick; signed on June 8.
July 27, 2021: Traded by the Seattle Mariners with Joaquin Tejeda to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Tyler Anderson.