The Atlanta Braves have acquired veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki on a one-year, $1.5 million deal, with $2.5 million in incentives. Suzuki, 33, has a .256/.311/.372 lifetime slash line in ten major league seasons. The Braves are the fourth team he has played on, following stints with the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Minnesota Twins.
Source: Suzuki deal with #Braves will be one year, $1.5M with $2.5M in incentives.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 21, 2017
Atlanta Braves Sign Kurt Suzuki
Shoring up the depth at catcher was the Braves main focus during the offseason. They have Tyler Flowers, their starting catcher for most of last season, signed through 2019. The front office avoided arbitration with back-up Anthony Recker for $800,000, and signed free agent Tuffy Gosewisch to a one-year deal. Yet, rumors still circulated that Atlanta was looking for other catching options.
The most popular rumors surrounded top free agent catcher Matt Wieters. The Georgia native had the Braves on his short list of teams. However, the Braves front office seemed to never have much interest in Wieters, mostly due to his contract demands and not wanting to give up a draft pick. Atlanta wanted a veteran catcher on a one-year deal and, as a result, Suzuki became the guy.
Suzuki is only three years removed from his All-Star campaign with the Twins, when he hit .288 with a .727 OPS in 2014. He hit .263 in his three season with Minnesota. Suzuki will split catching duties with Flowers, and the new buzz is that Recker is on the trading block. Suzuki and Flowers are both right-handed batters, with Flowers sporting a higher average against right-handed pitchers in 2016. Flowers is also more of a power threat than Suzuki.
The Braves should now be done searching for catching options, and Suzuki fits the mold Atlanta was looking to fill.
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