5:30pm: Oakland has announced the signing.
3:56pm: The Athletics have agreed to sign catcher Chris Herrmann, according to veteran reporter Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). It’s a one-year pact, per MLB.com’s Jane Lee (via Twitter), and is worth $1MM plus incentives, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets.
Herrmann’s tour of the AL West continues. He played well last year for the Mariners and spent a brief stretch on the Astros’ 40-man roster earlier this winter before being non-tendered. He had projected to earn a $1.5MM salary, which was obviously a bit north of what the Houston organization was ultimately willing to commit after it had a chance to survey the market fully.
The A’s will presumably utilize Herrmann mostly behind the dish, though he has also spent a fair bit of time in the outfield and at first base. That’s handy to have around, at least when he’s hitting enough to warrant time in those positions. At a minimum, it increases a team’s roster flexibility.
Herrmann, who just turned 31, has never been a consistent offensive producer. He has had productive stretches in two of the past three seasons, but scuffled to a .181/.273/.345 slash in 256 plate appearances in 2017 — his most extensive action in the majors. Still, it’s hard not to like some of the tools. Herrmann has some swing and miss to his game, but he knows how to draw a walk and has pop in addition to grading well on the bases.
weird flex but ok
That’s original.
weird flex but ok
Didn’t He kill their chances at the division last year with that walk off against them?
kind of a weird signing lol
If teams were run like this they would all be as dysfunctional as the Mets and Orioles.
the winter meetings are a bore thus far
Phegley and Herrmann must be the worst catching duo in baseball. At least it’s a cheap duo.
Better than Lucroy/Phegley tho
I beg to differ, would’ve much rather had Lucroy
Ditto
nah, Hermann was worth just as much as lucroy but in 10% of the PA’s
Playoffs!
They might be expecting Sean Murphy to push either Phegley or Herrmann out by the end of the year.
Great signing for the As! They have figured out a new strategy, aim for consistent and minimize streaky.
At least it isn’t Bruce Maxwell, am I right guys?
Why? You racist or something?
No, just pro-Chinese food delivery.
Nah just anti putting guns in innocent delivery drivers faces. Maxwell is a jackass and does not represent the values of baseball. Frankly he should be cashiered out of the mlb.
Wow really? It couldn’t be because he was horrendous at the plate?
Im Really hoping that this signing is to be the backup, and another addition is coming, a platoon of phegley and herrmann is pretty dreadful.
Do not like this signing one bit
That addition will be Sean Murphy.
The A’s are creative in roster building. This leaves Lucroy without a job, most likely, keeping a solid second tier of FA catching options on the market.
Good one Boy Wonder, Billy Beane, good one. I recently heard Boy Wonder on a local radio interview. The interview was approximately 30 minutes in duration and Boy Wonder prefaced his sentences with the word “Listen” 27 times! I always knew he was a caught up in his own alleged celebrity status, but he’s graduated to a true narcissist lately. And by the way, name a more over-rated GM in the history of MLB than Boy Wonder.
Babble much?
Thanks for the knowledge.
Please stop calling a 54 year old man “Boy” repeatedly, its obnoxious and offensive.
People like you are why people root FOR him. How does THAT feel?
You’re right, I’m sure you could win 97 games with the the lowest MLB team salary on opening day. You’re right, over-rated. The A’s should hire you to do the job.
kind of like you using “boy wonder” 27 times?
Hey statman, how about you look at his stats as GM. His W-L record is pretty darn good the past 20 years. His playoff record does not accurately reflect his quality as GM. 9 playoff years is nothing to sneeze over.
If Beane really is going to call it a day in the C department after this, then he’s definitely giving Sean Murphy at least 500 AB next year come hell or highwater, lol
I Hope so because Phegley’s bat is not MLB level, even for a catcher, and Herrmann is suitable in a backup role but has never been able to breakout to recieve regular playing time even when spending time is Arizona, who had no useful catchers at the time.
I agree, to me it screams Murphy is MLB-level right now.
Now if Hermann is merely there to battle Phegley and there’s another short-term quality C coming, then that’s another thing. But if this is it, Murphy is definitely going to be the man next year probably from opening day, ha
Murphy is definitely going to receive a lot of playing time next season. Probably not on the OD roster, but he will receive the bulk of catching duties by seasons end.
Wwoww. Wwhatt a ssigningg!
this better mean that they expect Murphy to win the job out of ST
This is the baseball equivalent of the Warriors signing Durant. The A’s are ruining MLB
This move makes you realize that they never targeted Lucroy because of catching skill; it was hoping he would magically rediscover how to hit dingers.
I watched him catch a full bullpens. Looks sharp
Totally a Billy Beane-ish move. Good pickup.
Welcome to the greatest baseball city in the country. #betterthanposey #oaklandcityofchampions