The Royals have signed veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro to a minor league contract, according to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. Alfaro is a nine-year veteran with the Phillies, Marlins, Padres, Rockies, Red Sox, and Nationals. In 510 career games, he has hit .253/.301/.391. Last year he appeared in 14 games with the Nationals and went 10-for-39 (.256).
Alfaro was a top 100 prospect as he was coming up with the Rangers, and was traded to the Phillies as part of a package in a blockbuster deal for pitcher Cole Hamels. He served as a starter for the Phillies in 2018 and was a 1.6 rWAR player that year, his best season. He was traded to the Marlins the next year in a package for catcher J.T. Realmuto and hit a career-high 18 home runs for them in 2019. The last three seasons he has bounced around the league and shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues. He is a 32-year-old right-handed hitter and will likely serve as depth behind Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen behind the plate.
The Royals carried a third catcher on the roster for a significant part of last season, with Salvador Perez spending significant time at first base and DH. The team traded Freddy Fermin to the Padres in July, and Luke Maile became a free agent after the season. The signing of Alfaro could mean Maile won’t return, although the Royals may just be looking to add catching depth in the organization.
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