Arizona Diamondbacks reach deal with catcher Alex Avila
Jan 31, 2018, 4:35 PM
Chicago Cubs' Alex Avila hits a single during the ninth inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Arizona Diamondbacks have reached a deal with catcher Alex Avila, the team announced Wednesday.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the deal is for two years and $8.25 million.
The team designated outfielder Rey Fuentes for assignment as part of the move.
Avila, 31, ended last season with the Chicago Cubs. In his 2017 season with Detroit and Chicago, Avila hit .264 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI.
He spent his first seven seasons in Detroit, representing the Tigers in the All-Star Game in 2011. After one season in Chicago with the White Sox in 2016, he went back to the Tigers in 2017. He was acquired by the Cubs in a trade deadline day deal.
A lifetime .243 hitter, Avila saw a major drop-off after that 2011 season. His batting averages after hitting .295 that year would go down to .243, .227, .218 and .191 the next four seasons.
Avila played in 112 games last year, but playing time isn’t that much of a concern for him when compared to winning.
Free Agent Alex Avila is open to being a backup catcher on a winning team pic.twitter.com/Wp5jq6Jjnb
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 29, 2017
Catcher has been a big need for the D-backs, as they rotated three players through the position last year. Chris Iannetta was the one to stand out the most, but he signed with the Colorado Rockies in early December.
That leaves Jeff Mathis and Chris Herrmann. Mathis is slated to return for the second year of his contract while Herrmann, who also spends time in the outfield, avoided arbitration and signed a one-year deal with the team.
The D-backs roster remains at 40.
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