Diamondbacks acquire Chris Stewart from Braves for cash considerations
Aug 30, 2018, 3:39 PM
Pittsburgh Pirates' Chris Stewart (19) heads to third base with a two-run triple off Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher J.J. Hoover (60) during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
(AP Photo/Phil Long)
The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired catcher Chris Stewart from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations, according to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro.
He will likely be a September call-up, Gambadoro added in a tweet.
Stewart, 36, has 12 seasons of major-league experience under his belt and played in five MLB games for the Braves this season. He’s spent most of the year with Triple-A Gwinnett, where he’s hit .219 with six doubles and a triple in 47 games.
For his career, Stewart has hit .230 with a .297 on-base percentage and .292 slugging percentage. He has played for the White Sox, Rangers, Yankees, Padres, Giants, Pirates and Braves.
Getting Stewart allows Dbacks to pinch hit a catcher and have someone at the end of the bench if a catcher gets hurt. And protects them in case of injury to another catcher as well with him being eligible for postseason because in organization by Sept 1st.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) August 30, 2018
As Gambadoro explained on Twitter, Stewart adds depth to the Diamondbacks’ catching rotation in the event of an injury. And because he’ll become part of the organization before the Sept. 1 deadline, he’ll be eligible for the team’s postseason roster, should Arizona choose to activate him.
The D-backs also have Alex Avila, Jeff Mathis and John Ryan Murphy on their current active roster.
According to Spotrac, Stewart is playing on a one-year minor-league deal for $575,000 and will become a free agent at the end of this season.
