Journeyman catcher who spent 2021 in Tigers system signs with new team

Boston Red Sox batter Juan Centeno is pictured at the plate against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Louis DeLuca)
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Maybe if Eric Haase hadn’t turned into Babe Ruth last summer, Juan Centeno would have gotten a call-up to Detroit.

But Haase hit well, and Centeno spent the season bouncing between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

The veteran backup catcher signed a minor-league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks this week.

Centeno, 32, started his career with the New York Mets and has since played for five other big-league clubs. He last appeared in the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox in 2019 and was briefly a member of the 2017 Houston Astros World Series team led by current Tigers manager A.J. Hinch.

He’s never gotten more than a cup of coffee. In parts of seven seasons, he’s played in just 118 games.

The Tigers opted to retain both Haase and veteran Dustin Garneau as potential backups for starter Tucker Barnhart in 2022.

Longtime organizational backup Grayson Greiner was not brought back for 2022 and he will likely be shopping for a minor-league deal with another club once the MLB lockout ends.

Unlike Centeno, who spent the entire 2021 season in the minor leagues, Greiner ended the year on the 40-man roster and thus isn’t able to sign with a team during the ongoing transactions freeze.

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