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St. Louis Cardinals Sign Catcher Michael McKenry to Minors Deal

By Patrick Karraker

Jun 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Michael McKenry (8) holds onto the ball for an out after a collision with third baseman Nolan Arenado (not pictured) in the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Michael McKenry (8) holds onto the ball for an out after a collision with third baseman Nolan Arenado (not pictured) in the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Cardinals added some much-needed minor-league catching depth on Friday, signing big-league veteran Michael McKenry.

The St. Louis Cardinals added some valuable catching depth to their minor-league system on Friday, signing 31-year-old catcher Michael McKenry. McKenry has spent parts of the last six seasons in the major leagues and has seen action with the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates.

McKenry, who recently opted out of a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers after beginning the year in extended spring training and then spending 13 games with the Triple-A Round Rock Express, has a .239 batting average and .725 OPS in 951 career major-league plate appearances. Despite his lack of size–he’s listed at a generous 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds–he’s considered a solid defender and a valuable veteran mentor to a pitching staff.

Within the next few days, McKenry is expected to head to Triple-A Memphis, where he’ll likely share time behind the plate with 25-year-old Mike Ohlman, the Cardinals’ number 27 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

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While it seems that the Cards are trying to groom Ohlman to become their number three catcher, he carries defensive question marks and has just a .664 OPS in 79 at-bats this season, so the Cardinals might want some more reliable depth in Memphis. Ohlman’s current backup is 29-year-old

Alberto Rosario

, an organizational player who has filled a reserve role for the entirety of his 11-year minor-league career.

While the Cardinals have an immediate need for McKenry at Triple-A, the decision to sign him is probably an indication that they’re worried about losing big-league backup Eric Fryer when Brayan Pena is activated from the DL. With the Cards having no expendable players on the major-league bench besides infielder Ruben Tejada, who will likely be let go when Jhonny Peralta returns, they’ll almost certainly be forced to designate Fryer for assignment rather than carrying three catchers. Since Fryer is currently hitting .476 while playing strong defense, he’ll likely be a hot commodity around the league, especially since there’s a shortage of good catching around the majors right now.

Next: How Will Cardinals Solve Upcoming Catching Conundrum?

With McKenry in the fold, the Cardinals can be sure that they’ll have extra protection in case Molina or Pena get hurt and Ohlman isn’t yet ready to contribute to the big-league club. In addition, McKenry could act as a valuable mentor behind the plate for top pitching prospect Alex Reyes, who was recently promoted to Memphis.

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