The Yankees added to their catching depth late Monday night, adding Robinson Chirinos on a minor league deal with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp in just one day.
Chirinos will bring depth to a catching position that is thin in the Yankees’ organization outside of Gary Sanchez and Kyle Higashioka, and brings a familiarity with ace Gerrit Cole, who he spent time catching when the two were with the Astros in 2019.
Chirinos started last season with the Rangers before being dealt to the Mets prior to the trade deadline for a player to be named later. The 36-year-old appeared in 12 games for the Mets and recorded just seven hits in 33 plate appearances. His 2020 season totals included a slash line of .162/.232/.243. In 2019, Chirinos played in 114 games and slashed .238/.347/.443, and went hitless in 15 plate appearances against the Yankees in the ALCS.
During his 2019 stint with the Astros, Chirinos caught Cole for a total of 68.2 innings, with Cole pitching to a 1.57 ERA in that span. But teammate Martin Maldonado quickly became Cole’s personal catcher, and with Maldonado behind the plate, Cole went on a historic run of dominance that lasted through Houston’s World Series loss to the Nationals.
Chirinos will likely be used in a third-string veteran role for the Yanks, similar to Erik Kratz last season, who stepped in when Higashioka suffered a strained oblique last season.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch