According to Jason Mackey, the Pittsburgh Pirates will signed catcher Andrew Knapp to be their backup catcher. The team just recently made their final Spring Training cuts, which included all three players vying for the backup spot, so it was a given that they added a catcher before Thursday’s season opener in St Louis.
Per sources: Pirates are bringing in Andrew Knapp to be their backup catcher.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 5, 2022
The 30-year-old Knapp debuted in the majors in 2017 and he has spent the last five seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, who let him leave via free agency back in November. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds this year, but failed to make their roster. Knapp has never been a full-time starter, topping out at 84 games played in 2018. He has five full years of service in the majors. He struggled badly last year, hitting .152/.215/.214 in 62 games. In 309 big league games, he has a .214/.314/.322 slash line. According to WAR numbers, he has a career -0.7 WAR. He’s been slightly above replacement level each year prior to 2021 on offense, but he’s been below average defensively in three of his five seasons.
