Minnesota Twins Add Headline-Stealing Former A's Catcher

The Minnesota Twins may have played their way into being sellers at the Trade Deadline, but this week they added a former A's backstop that has made headlines for fun reasons twice this season. On June 19, the A's designated Jhonny Pereda for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Ken Waldichuk.

Not too long after, it was announced that the Twins had claimed Pereda off waivers. The 29-year-old was traded to the A's from the Miami Marlins back in January for cash, and opened the season as the team's backup catcher. The one problem with that role is that starter Shea Langeliers rarely takes a day off.

Pereda made it into 19 games with the green and gold, and hit .175 with a .283 OBP, collecting six walks and 13 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances before he was optioned down to Triple-A on May 23.

In the A's home opener--their ever first game in West Sacramento--things got out of hand on the scoreboard. With the A's trailing 17-3 to the Chicago Cubs, Pereda was called upon to pitch the final frame. He ended up going one inning, and giving up a monster home run to Kyle Tucker.

But the fun part was when pitcher Colin Rea came up to the plate for a unique showdown: position player pitching and pitcher in the batter's box. Pereda and Rea battled, but the former A's catcher struck out the Cubs pitcher looking on the fifth pitch of the at-bat.

The other headline-stealing event for Pereda also came when he was on the mound (unfortunately for the A's). On May 15 the A's were in Los Angeles taking on the Dodgers in another lopsided loss, and A's manager Mark Kotsay sent Pereda to the mound yet again, this time with his team losing 16-2.

He didn't pitch particularly well, giving up four hits and three earned runs in his inning of work, but he did earn one strikeout, which was written about everywhere.

With runners one second and third, a run already in, and nobody out, Pereda faced off against three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani in a battle for the ages. After topping out at 68 miles per hour on his first four pitches, Pereda reared back and unleashed an 89 mile per hour heater above the zone that Ohtani swung on and missed.

After claiming him off waivers, the Twins optioned Pereda down to Triple-A St. Paul. He has yet to take the mound for the Saints.