Zunino agrees to 1-year deal with Guardians (source)

The Guardians have their catcher, agreeing to a one-year, $6 million take care of Mike Zunino on Tuesday, a supply informed MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The membership has not confirmed.

Set to show 32 years previous simply earlier than Opening Day, Zunino is seeking to rebound from a misplaced 2022 season. He performed in solely 36 video games for the Rays final yr and produced a .499 OPS with 5 dwelling runs earlier than he was shut down in June following surgical procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome in his left (non-throwing) arm.

Zunino had a profession yr with the bat in ‘21 as he bashed 33 homers and led all catchers (minimal 300 plate appearances) with a .559 slugging share. He completed third on the place with a 134 wRC+, earned his first All-Star Game choice and even acquired an MVP vote.

The third total choose within the 2012 Draft by the Mariners, Zunino has 4 20-homer seasons on his résumé and is constantly among the many leaders in max exit velocity. Conversely, he has been close to or on the prime in strikeout fee in a number of seasons and owns an 85 OPS+ since becoming a member of Tampa Bay previous to 2019. Zunino performed in 263 of a doable 546 regular-season video games throughout that four-season span and struck out in practically 40 % of his 789 at-bats.

Zunino’s first six seasons within the Majors got here with Seattle. Debuting in 2013, he put collectively a .207/.276/.406 slash line with 95 homers and an 89 OPS+ via 1,885 at-bats earlier than a commerce despatched him east.

Behind the plate, Zunino compiled 52 Defensive Runs Saved between 2014-21, third most amongst all backstops with at the least 5,000 innings performed. Yet he accrued a minus-two DRS in his injury-marred ‘22 season. He has additionally recorded below-average caught stealing percentages — 22% and 20% — in every of the previous two years.