The Athletics signed veteran catcher Carlos Perez to a minor league contract yesterday, per his transactions log at MLB.com. It’ll be his second stint with the organization.
The 32-year-old Perez — not to be confused with the White Sox catching prospect of the same name — has appeared in parts of four big league seasons but last saw the Majors in 2018. He’s a career .215/.257/.319 hitter in 670 plate appearances between the Angels, Rangers and Braves. He’s posted negative framing marks in his limited MLB time but also boasts an outstanding 38.4% caught-stealing rate.
Perez spent the 2022 season with the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque, where he slashed .254/.341/.524 and belted 31 homers. That tied a career-high for Perez, who also slugged 31 homers in 2021 with Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas while batting .269/.337/.572. Both settings are considered extremely hitter-friendly, but Perez has nonetheless had an impressive run in Triple-A over the past couple seasons. Overall, he’s spent parts of nine seasons in Triple-A and batted a combined .281/.350/.482 in 2107 trips to the plate.
The A’s are thin on catching depth in general, with young Shea Langeliers and veteran Manny Pina standing as the only two options on the 40-man roster. Pina is expected begin the season on the injured list, however, leaving Oakland in search of a backup for Langeliers, who’ll take the reins as the starter in Oakland following the offseason trade that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta.
As it stands, the only other catcher in camp with big league experience is Yohel Pozo, who appeared in 21 games with the Rangers during 2021’s MLB debut. Pozo is the favorite to back up Langeliers early in the year, but if Pina is out long enough for Perez to get built up and game-ready, the veteran Perez could eventually emerge as an option. Top prospect Tyler Soderstrom could also be an option at some point, although scouts have long questioned about his glove at the position. The A’s have continued to develop him behind the plate, but it’s possible he’ll eventually slide to first base or designated hitter.
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