The Royals and veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro are in agreement on a minor league contract, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. Presumably, there’s an invitation to major league camp included in the CAA client’s deal.
Now 32 years old, Alfaro was one of the top catching prospects in the game when the Phillies sent him to Miami alongside right-hander Sixto Sanchez in the trade that sent star backstop J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia. Alfaro had a decent run between the Phils and the Fish from 2017-19 when he slashed .269/.322/.429 with 33 homers in 956 plate appearances. That output came with a sky-high 34% strikeout rate, however.
While the bloated strikeout rate made it hard to imagine Alfaro continuing his success at the plate, his plus raw power and accurate rocket of an arm gave him a chance to stick around in at least a part-time role, but Alfaro has slipped into journeyman status as his strikeout woes have escalated and his framing/blocking grades have dwindled. Over his past 736 MLB plate appearances dating back to 2020, Alfaro is a .237/.277/.352 hitter. He’s walked in just 3.6% of his plate appearances during that time and fanned nearly 10 times as often. Even in Triple-A with the Brewers in 2025, Alfaro swatted 15 homers and slashed .244/.285/.430 … but did so with a 36.5% strikeout rate.
The Royals don’t need immediate help behind the plate. Alfaro is likely being viewed as a depth option for Triple-A Omaha, but injuries or trades could always impact the depth chart. Team captain Salvador Perez, of course, isn’t going anywhere and will again see plenty of time behind the plate.
That said, Perez has seen more time at first base and at designated hitter in recent seasons, and with prospect Carter Jensen looking ready for a real audition, Perez could spend even less time behind the dish. Blake Mitchell is another well-regarded catching option in the upper minors, and 20-year-old Ramon Ramirez gives them a third catching prospect of note (although he’s yet to play above High-A).
@Steve Adams
Correction: Blake Mitchell hasn’t played above High-A while Ramon Ramirez hasn’t played above Low-A.
Also, link goes to wrong Ramon Ramirez
Obviously this is depth for triple A……. Because we probably won’t need a third catcher on the 40 Man
Catchers get so many opportunities. I always root for the underdog as long as they’re not against my team. Alfaro didn’t show much in Boston but who knows? Good luck.
Catcher development is just so hard to predict, even in a game where all player development is harder to pin down than most other major sports. Jorge had the tools, but I think that he was missing the intellect and the driven focus to become the best.
That JTR trade could not have worked out any better for the Phils.
Sixto was looking like a stud pitcher, almost like the Phillies were giving up too much for Realmuto. Then baseball happened and the Phillies won that trade by a mile.
Padres legend Jorge Alfaro!
Mr. Clutch
Yea this is just a “Salvy hurt his arm and is out for a week or two and we need an emergency backup catcher” sort of signing like Luke Maile was.
Need extra Catchers for training camp
Another season another Alfaro signing announcement.