The Washington Nationals agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Alex Avila on Thursday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Avila’s addition fills out the team’s backstop depth, providing a partner for Yan Gomes behind the plate.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the deal, which is pending a physical. Avila played last season with the Minnesota Twins, appearing in 23 games. He hit at a .184 clip with two RBIs and 22 strikeouts in his 62 plate appearances.
Avila spent eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers, two with the Arizona Diamondbacks and one each with the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. He has experience catching for starters Jon Lester, Patrick Corbin and Max Scherzer, and he’s a left-handed batter — offering a potential catcher by committee situation with the right-handed Gomes.
Still, Gomes may command the majority of the starts. In December, general manager Mike Rizzo said he was comfortable with Gomes starting 90 games.
Avila’s career split against right-handers is .240, compared to .213 when facing southpaws. In 2019, Avila’s most recent full season, he appeared in 63 games and finished with a .207 average. His lone all-star season was 2011 in Detroit, when he hit .295 with 82 RBIs.
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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