Cleveland Guardians Sign Former All-Star Catcher

 

The Cleveland Guardians were one of the teams in need of a catcher this offseason, but with all the big names coming off the board, they decided to go down a tier or two, and have settled on Mike Zunino as their new backstop.

Mike Zunino is signing a one-year, $6M contract with the Guardians, per @ByRobertMurray pic.twitter.com/LuzKxrAIFi

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 13, 2022

MLB Insider Robert Murray is reporting that it's a one-year, $6M deal for the 2021 All-Star. 

Zunino, 31, packs a wallop at the plate, but it's usually a boom-or-bust situation for him due to poor on-base skills. He has a career .200 average with a .271 on-base percentage. But he does have 146 home runs in his 10-year career, and is just one season removed from an All-Star campaign. 

With the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021, Zunino launched 33 long-balls with an .860 OPS, both career highs, earning him a trip to the MidSummer Classic. His 2022 season ended prematurely, however, due to injury, and left him batting just .148 in 115 at-bats, with a .499 OPS and just five home runs. 

He underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in his left arm in July. 

He's expected to be fully healthy for spring training. 

Photo: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports