Pittsburgh Pirates Sign Veteran Catcher

The Pittsburgh Pirates have found their replacement for catcher Jacob Stallings. They now have signed Roberto Perez to a one-year contract that comes with $5 million guaranteed.

Catcher Roberto Perez and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a one-year contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 30, 2021

With Cleveland during the 2021 season, Perez had seven home runs, 17 RBIs and a .149 batting average in 44 games. Therefore, it wasn't the best season for him, but he will be looking to regroup with the Pirates. 

His 2019 season is one that fans should keep in mind. In 119 games with Cleveland, he had 24 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .239 batting average. Since then, he hasn't been able to replicate anywhere close to those numbers, but maybe he can again from here.

In 490 career games over eight MLB seasons, Perez has 53 home runs, 184 RBIs and a .206 batting average. With that, he also has two Gold Glove Awards on his resume. 

Overall, this is a low-risk signing and a good chance for the 32-year-old catcher to try to bounce back. He should get plenty of opportunities to when observing Pittsburgh's roster.

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