Rangers sign Knizner to bolster catching depth
The Rangers addressed a minor hole in the roster on Thursday, filling in the catching depth behind All-Star starter Jonah Heim.
Texas announced on Thursday it signed catcher Andrew Knizner to a one-year contract. The deal is for $1.825 million, according to a source. Knizner was non-tendered by the Cardinals this offseason and provides much-needed depth behind the plate for the Rangers.
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Knizner hit .241 with a .712 OPS in 70 games with St. Louis in 2023 and can easily catch multiple times per week behind Heim if and when it’s necessary. Last season, he posted career highs in homers (10), RBIs (31), doubles (11), extra-base hits (21) and runs (30).
The Rangers now have three catchers on the 40-man roster, with 25-year-old Sam Huff expected to move down the depth chart following Knizner’s signing. Huff has slashed .262/.314/.462 in 75 big league games between 2020-23, but he has never gotten consistent at-bats in the Majors with multiple veteran catchers ahead of him. That pattern will seemingly continue into ’24.
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“We want to make sure we have ample backup options to protect [Heim] to give him blows when necessary, while also providing a high-quality level of performance to help us win,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said at the Winter Meetings last month.
