The Phillies announced Tuesday that they have signed a veteran catcher Jeff Mathis to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training. The Phils also confirmed previously reported non-roster invitations for veterans Neftali Feliz, Brandon Kintzler, Bryan Mitchell, Ivan Nova, Hector Rondon, Michael Ynoa, Ronald Torreyes, Travis Jankowski and Matt Joyce. Mathis, a client of Jet Sports Management, would earn $ 1.8 million if he took up the roster. tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Mathis, 38, spent just two years with the Rangers in March. He did not hit well in Texas at all, but the Rangers certainly did not expect him to give anything with the bat either. Mathis has hit .207 / .274 / .297 with the D-backs in the previous two seasons and has been signed almost exclusively for a two-year deal for his defensive prowess behind the court.
Mathis, who has long been considered one of the best defensive catchers in the game, will go with the Phillies to Spring Training as the most important veteran mentor for the younger players of the team. It seems difficult to predict that he will crack the timetable for the opening day JT Realmuto re-signed for a new five-year agreement, Andrew Knapp the probable backup and a third catcher, Rafael Marchan, on the 40-man list. But Mathis can work with Knapp and 22-year-old Marchan on their defensive ability behind the board, and he has no shortage of veteran insight to share with the yard staff after spending the past 16 seasons in the Majors.
Mathis has appeared in 945 Major League games and made 3006 record appearances between the Angels, Blue Jays, Marlins, D-backs and Rangers. He was just a .194 / .253 / .300 hit at the time, but at his peak he controlled the running game excellently and was one of the best in the league in terms of ball delineation and blocking. balls in the dirt.
As one would expect from a player in his early thirties, Mathis has seen his defensive rating over the past few years, but he already let it be known in September that he hopes to continue his career, and the Phillies give him the opportunity to do so. so. Mathis can always go to Triple-A Lehigh Valley if he does not make the opening day schedule, and it is common for veterans of this nature to have several dates in non-guaranteed offers so that they can return to the market from the camp (and / or or early in the regular season) if they have not been added to the Major League Series.