*Photo from the East Village Times*
Depth is the name of the game in baseball. The Kansas City Royals and C Austin Nola have agreed to a one year, $975,000 contract, according to an announcement by the team.
Nola previously signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in January but requested a release after the team signed Gary Sanchez, which likely would have kept him off the major league roster. He returned to the open market and now has a major league deal in place with the Royals, where he can earn another $250,000 in bonuses based on games played.
Asked about joining the Royals, Nola said "It's been pretty quick. But I’m definitely excited to be here in Royal blue. It’s been a dream. Show up every day, do my job, help these pitchers get through innings. And hopefully win. That’s what we’re all here for, is to win."
Last season, Nola struggled immensely as he dealt with injuries and poor performance, being optioned to Triple A as well. He had a .146/.260/.192 slash line with a dismal 30 OPS+, recording just 19 hits in 154 plate appearances over 52 games for the San Diego Padres.
The addition of Nola helps the Royals with their catching depth at both the major and minor league levels, as Nola has one year of minor league options remaining. He's been a reliable defensive catcher throughout his career and can provide value to a mostly young pitching staff in Kansas City.
Nola has played for the Padres and Seattle Mariners over 5 seasons in the majors, debuting in 2019. He has a .249/.326/.370 slash line with a 96 OPS+ to his name, hitting 24 home runs and 51 doubles to go with 136 RBI's in 345 games. He has 11 hits and 8 RBI's over 69 plate appearances in 18 playoff games.
The Royals currently have Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin on the roster as their top two catchers, with Nola set to compete with Fermin for the backup job. Outfielder MJ Melendez also came through the farm system as a catcher and can play behind the plate when necessary.
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