A French drain can be particularly helpful for drying out saturated soil, as the trench is generally about a foot deep in the ground. If you only use a catch basin to solve your drainage problems, it will primarily collect surface water.

For instance, after 3 to 4 inches of rain like we often get here in East Texas, it may drain off the surface water, but if it's winter and cold, the ground won't dry out at all - meaning that soggy soil isn't going to improve with just a catch basin. A catch basin might collect surface water quicker than a French drain would for that purpose, but a French drain features a system a foot below the surface, allowing the soil to dry out as water seeks the path of least resistance. It enters the French drain system and drains out that way.