Cubs Sign 10-Year Veteran Catcher
Cut loose just three days ago by the Miami Marlins, the 10-year major league veteran catcher didn't have to wait long before landing a new job. The Chicago Cubs have signed Curt Casali to a minor league contract.
Chicago Cubs Sign Catcher Curt Casalihttps://t.co/LQYJuqZzA3 pic.twitter.com/k7F5N5ICzH
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 29, 2024
Casali, 35, has played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and then a second stint with the Reds last season in his decade in the majors.
He has a lifetime average of .220 with an OPS of .694 and an OPS+ of 88. Clearly, it's his skills behind the plate that have allowed him to have a nice career as a backup backstop.
Yan Gomes is the starter for the Cubs behind the plate currently, with Miguel Amaya splitting some time behind the plate. So with no current need at the major-league level, it appears that Casali will suit up with Des Moines, the Cubs AAA affiliate for now, until there is a need in The Show.
The Reds had signed Casali to a one-year, $3.25 million deal in 2023, but his season was a disaster, as he played in only 40 games, partly due to a foot injury but also on account of a poor performance that wound up going down as the worst season of his career. He batted just .175 with a ridiculously untenable OPS+ of 36.
Casali will have the right to opt out of his contract in a month's time if he doesn't receive a call to the big leagues.
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