Tigers sign veteran catcher Hector Sanchez to a minor league deal

The Tigers have gone pretty quiet since we entered the new year. So has the rest of the league, where trades have again taken center stage rather than free agent signings. On Monday, general manager Al Avila did make a minor move to shore up the team’s catching depth heading into spring camp. The Tigers added 29-year-old Hector Sanchez, last seen in the major leagues with the San Diego Padres in 2017, on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

The deal, first reported by Ignacio Serrano of El Nacional, doesn’t really change anything for the Tigers. Sanchez has a bit of power, but he’s just not a major league caliber hitter, even by the standards of modern catchers. A solid defender behind the plate for most of his career, Sanchez could give Bobby Wilson and Kade Scivicque some competition this spring. And, with the Tigers apparently content to go with Grayson Greiner and John Hicks this season, adding a little catching depth was probably a necessity.

Sanchez broke into the majors back in 2011 with the San Francisco Giants, and played parts of the next seven seasons, but only appeared in 347 games. There’s not a lot of work being Buster Posey’s backup’s understudy, but Sanchez earned a pair of World Series rings in those years. He caught Tim Linceceum’s second no-hitter, and was behind the dish for four games during the Giants 2012 postseason run.