Yankees Reportedly Signing Catcher Erik Kratz to Minor-League Deal
By Thomas Carannante
He's back in the Bronx! And this time, it's for good reason.
Veteran backstop Erik Kratz has reportedly signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees after spending time with the team in 2017. Since then, he's endured stints with the Brewers, Giants and Rays.
Erik Kratz agrees to minors deal with Yankees
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 20, 2019
Kratz is likely to serve as insurance in the catching department after the Yanks lost Austin Romine to the Detroit Tigers. While the 39-year-old has played in just 316 career games, his defense and veteran leadership have remained of value over the past few years.
He'll likely hang out at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and occasionally join Gary Sanchez and Kyle Higashioka on the depth chart as a fill-in when there are injuries or when someone needs rest.
Erik Kratz has signed a minor league deal with the #Yankees. @JonHeyman 1st. Kratz played 4 games with the NYY in 2017 and in their minors parts of ’18-’19. NYY needed a veteran at AAA since Sanchez/Higashioka are only catchers on 40-man roster.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 20, 2019
With a glaring need behind El Gary and Higashioka, the Yanks went out and got themselves a reliable option in Kratz, who should provide formidable insurance in case the position happens to get thinner.