Guardians sign veteran catcher Mike Zunino: report
A day after officially signing first baseman Josh Bell, the Guardians addressed their situation at catcher.
In an effort to solve the biggest question mark on the roster heading into opening day 2023, the Guardians are signing free agent catcher Mike Zunino, according to a report from The Athletic.
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Zunino, 31, was an All-Star in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .216 with 33 home runs and 62 RBIs. His 2022 was a different story, though, as he batted .148 with a .499 OPS before having season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in his shoulder. A low-average power hitter when healthy, Zunino has batted .200 over 10 major league seasons, including four in which he hit at least 20 home runs.
The Guardians were linked in trade discussions with Oakland's Sean Murphy, one of the best catchers in the game, but he was instead dealt to the Atlanta Braves.
The Guardians have two catchers on the 40-man roster, Bo Naylor and Bryan Lavastida, who have a combined 23 days of service time at the major league level.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians sign Mike Zunino to free agent deal: report
