Here are the day’s notable minor moves:
- The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with backstop Michael McKenry, per Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter). As Cotillo notes, that signing, along with the team’s addition of fellow veteran George Kottaras, could help bolster the team’s catching ranks if A.J. Pierzynski is traded away. McKenry was recently cut loose by the Cardinals after a brief appearance on the MLB roster. He owns a useful .238/.318/.406 slash in his 953 big league plate appearances, but evaluators don’t love his work behind the dish.
- Another catcher, Erik Kratz, has elected free agency after being outrighted by the Pirates, as Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets. Kratz has not produced with the bat at all this year, but does typically bring some pop to the table. The 36-year-old is a lifetime .200/.248/.362 hitter, with 24 home runs in 647 plate appearances. With plenty of organizations looking for depth, he’ll likely latch on with another organization in short order.
McKenry and Kottaras? Any other disappointing Red Sox catching prospects that Atlanta wants to sign?
VERY minor move, but I want to tell Braves fans about Michael McKenry. Even now, years later, Pirates fans still rave about “The Fort”. The article is dead on about his defense, but he has some pop and if given semi-regular playing time he can put up decent enough numbers. I really hope the Braves trade Pierzynski and let him play out the season in Atlanta.
I know you all are great fans and having a rough year, trust me when I say you just picked up a player who is a blast to watch and who is a class act. Hope he sticks, he deserves to be in a top-notch organization like the Braves.