Mariners sign Andrew Knapp to minors contract

Knapp made his debut with the Triple-A Rainiers today, hitting a home run.

After spending his first nine pro seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, Knapp is now on his third new team since December. Knapp signed a minors deal with the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason but was released at the end of Spring Training. The veteran backstop then caught on with the Pittsburgh Pirates. This resulted in 11 games for Pittsburgh before Knapp was designated for assignment last week, which led Knapp to opt for free agency rather than an outright assignment to the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate.

Tom Murphy recently suffered a setback in his recovery from a separated shoulder, so with Murphy’s timeline unclear, it isn’t surprising that the Mariners have now added another catcher. Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens are the two catchers on the big league roster, and Knapp will provide some veteran depth at Triple-A should another injury arise.

Knapp has hit only .210/.310/.315 over 862 MLB plate appearances, spending much of his career in a part-time or backup capacity with the Phillies. With Raleigh and Torrens both struggling badly at the plate, it probably isn’t likely that Knapp will be seen as a replacement unless the Mariners decide that Raleigh needs more time in the minors.