The Braves have signed catcher Curt Casali to a minor league contract, Simply Baseball Media’s Aram Leighton studies. Atlanta is Casali’s eleventh totally different group over his 14 skilled seasons.
The final eleven of these seasons have come within the massive leagues, with Casali amassing 543 profession video games with the Rays, Mariners, and two separate stints apiece with the Reds and Giants. Most lately, Casali suited up 41 instances for San Francisco final season, stepping in as the first backup catcher after Tom Murphy was misplaced for the season attributable to a knee harm.
Casali has principally labored in a backup or part-time capability, showing in as many as 84 video games twice (2016 with the Rays and 2019 with the Reds) in his profession. His most efficient general stretch got here with Cincinnati from 2018-2020, when he hit .260/.345/.440 in 485 plate appearances whereas working in what was kind of a timeshare with Tucker Barnhart behind the plate. Casali’s offensive numbers have tailed off considerably since, and he had solely a .194/.293/.250 slash line in 125 PA with the Giants final season.
His glovework additionally took a downturn in 2024, as Statcast rated his blocking, framing, and caught-stealing numbers all beneath common. This could possibly be an indication of age catching as much as Casali as he enters his age-36 season, however he has a strong popularity as a defensive catcher who works effectively with pitchers.
Atlanta declined its $8MM membership choice on Travis d’Arnaud, and the longtime Braves backstop then signed with the Angels in one of many offseason’s extra vital early strikes. Sean Murphy will look to rebound from a down 12 months because the Braves’ beginning catcher and Chadwick Tromp is penciled in because the backup, although Casali and Sandy Leon are two well-traveled veterans who will present some competitors in Spring Coaching. The opposite title to look at right here is Drake Baldwin, as the highest prospect hit effectively in 334 PA with Triple-A Gwinnett final season and is anticipated to make his MLB debut in some unspecified time in the future in 2025.
