The Minnesota Twins found their catcher earlier this week, signing veteran backstop Christian Vazquez to a three-year, $30 million deal.
Vazquez spent the 2022 season with the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros and was a key factor in Houston’s run to another World Series title.
The 32-year-old hit for a .274 average and hit nine home runs during the regular season.
Minnesota led the American League Central division for much of the season before a late-season collapse took them out of postseason contention.
Though the team recently lost their star shortstop in Carlos Correa, who signed a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, the Twins have at the very least found their new catcher.
On Twitter, the team welcomed Vazquez to Minnesota.
Twins Announce Vazquez News
Vazquez replaces Gary Sanchez, who is now a free agent after being acquired from the New York Yankees earlier in the season.
The veteran catcher brings solid defense to a team that made just 83 errors during the regular season.
Vazquez committed just eight errors during the regular season and caught 19 runners attempting to steal.
He also had a fielding percentage of .991 and had a total of 11 Defensive Runs Saved.
Vazquez is a two-time World Series champion, having recently won a ring with the Astros and also having won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.
The Twins finished the regular season in third place in the AL Central with a 78-84 record.
With Vazquez in the fold, they’ll look to improve for 2023.
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