Jun 30, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka (20) before the start of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers Sign Former Padres, Yankees Catcher Kyle Higashioka to Multi-Year Deal

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Dec 2, 2024 9:06 PM ET

The Texas Rangers have signed catcher Kyle Higashioka to a two-year contract, the team announced Monday evening.

The deal includes a mutual option for 2027, per the Rangers. It has yet to be revealed how much the veteran backstop will make over the lifetime of the deal.

Higashioka spent last season with the San Diego Padres, coming off a seven-year stint with the New York Yankees. He was one of five players who was shipped out of the Bronx in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham last December, alongside Jhony Brito, Michael King, Drew Thorpe and Randy Vásquez.

The 34-year-old catcher enjoyed a career year in 2024, batting .220 with 17 home runs, 45 RBI, a .739 OPS and a 1.4 WAR across 84 games. Higashioka got even hotter in October, posting a .263 batting average with three home runs, five RBI and a1.062 OPS in seven postseason appearances.

Gettin’ Higgy wit it!

We've signed C Kyle Higashioka to a two-year contract with a mutual option for 2027. pic.twitter.com/5j72Znb3Op
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) December 3, 2024

Higashioka is a career backup, never appearing in more than 92 games in a single major league season. He shared time with Gary Sánchez, Jose Trevino and Austin Wells in New York, then rotated with Luis Campusano and Elias Díaz in San Diego.

In Texas, Higashioka will back up Jonah Heim. After batting .258 with a .755 OPS, a 2.9 WAR, a Gold Glove and an All-Star appearance in 2023, Heim hit .220 with a .602 OPS and a 1.1 WAR in 2024.

Heim has averaged 16 home runs, 67 RBI and a 2.1 WAR a season since 2022, appearing in an average of 130 games a year, so he is still worthy of starter's reps behind the dish. But coming off a lackluster campaign, the 29-year-old will be better served with a more reliable backup than journeyman Carson Kelly and Andrew Knizner's -0.9 WAR.

Higashioka is a lifetime .212 hitter with a .668 OPS and a 2.2 WAR, averaging 23 home runs and 68 RBI per 162 games. On defense, he is known for his framing much more than his suspect blocking abilities or lackluster pop speed.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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