Pirates sign former Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki to a minor league deal
The Pirates announced they have signed former Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki to a minor league deal. He will be invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee.
If Plawecki makes the Pirates roster, he will earn $1.5 million, per Rob Bradford of WEEI.
Plawecki played the last three seasons with the Red Sox before being designated for assignment in September. The veteran backstop hit .217 in 157 at-bats with one homer, 12 RBIs while posting a .574 OPS.
Boston moved on from the veteran catcher in favor of giving more playing time to Reese McGuire and Connor Wong.
The 32-year-old hooked on with the Rangers to end the regular season. He would play in three games collecting three hits in 11 at-bats to round out the regular season.
Plawecki will join former Red Sox teammate Rich Hill in Pittsburgh. Both players are well known clubhouse leaders. The Pirates have a rebuilding roster with young players and a mix of veterans. He will get a chance to show his value in the clubhouse this spring while also getting a shot at cracking the big league roster.
The Pirates have only two catchers on their 40-man roster, one of those players is catching prospect Endy Rodriguez. It’s likely he will start the season in Triple-A. The Bucs also added free agent catcher Austin Hedges to the square back in December and should figure into the rotation behind the dish.
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