ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves have signed catcher Tyler Flowers to a minor league deal.
The 35-year-od Flowers spent the past five seasons with the Braves, but wasn't re-signed after hitting .217 with one homer and five RBIs in 2020 backing up Travis d'Arnaud.
But Atlanta needs catching depth after
With d'Arnaud out for an extended period and Alex Jackson also on the DL with a strained hamstring (and likely headed back to the minors after managing just one hit in 23 at-bats this season), the Braves have turned to touted rookie William Contreras to handle the bulk of the catching duties.
Thirty-eight-year-old Jeff Mathis was called up with Contreras, but Flowers might be a better option. He provided solid production while sharing the catching job in Atlanta for several seasons, hitting 12 homers with 49 RBIs in 2017 and adding an 11-homer campaign in 2019.
Flowers, who hasn't played this season, will likely work his way into shape at the Braves' Triple-A team in suburban Gwinnett before moving to Atlanta to work with Contreras.
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