The Tigers announced on Friday that they’ve signed catcher Bryan Holaday to a minor league contract. With the new contract, the 29-year-old Lagardere Sports client will return to the organization with which he spent the first six seasons of his pro career.
Holaday also spent the bulk of 2016 Spring Training with the Tigers, but as an out-of-options player he ultimately found himself traded to the Rangers. He’d go on to split the ’16 season between Texas and Boston, hitting a combined .231/.281/.359 in 129 plate appearances over the life of 44 games. That production bears a striking resemblance to the lifetime .245/.282/.346 batting line that Holaday has accumulated across 411 plate appearances in parts of five Major League seasons.
This past offseason, Holaday inked a minor league pact with the Phillies, but he exercised his opt-out clause earlier this week when Philadelphia elected to name young Andrew Knapp as the backup to Cameron Rupp.
The Tigers will send Holaday to Triple-A Toledo to start the season, as they’ll go with James McCann and Alex Avila as their primary catching tandem to open the season. Holaday, though, will give them a familiar face to serve as a depth option in the event of an injury to either McCann or Avila.
Love this pick up. Avila will get hurt, like he always does, and he will be a good back up
Holaday is garbage. What’s the point of this signing? Nobody wanted him as a backup catcher, and for good reason. Terrible receiver, terrible hitter. Would rather give Hicks a shot at a backup job if an injury occurs.
Minor. League. Contract. Relax.
Holaday is worthy. He looked solid in Phillies camp but lost out to a cheaper, in-house option already on the 40-man (Knapp). Had they kept him in AAA he would have been riding pine while Alfaro ripens on his developmental path. As soxfan stated this is a minor league move.
I’m aware this is a minor league deal, but thanks for pointing it out. The point is if there’s an injury- and there probably will be- they’re likely to call up Holaday, not Hicks. We’ve already seen what Holaday has to offer (which is nothing), so what’s the point of this move? Hicks had a pretty good season last year. Why not give him a shot?
Why are you assuming they won’t?