The reigning world champion Kansas City Royals added some depth Wednesday by acquiring catcher Tony Cruz from the rival St. Louis Cardinals.
The Royals announced that they sent minor league infielder Jose Martinez to the Cards in exchange for the 29-year-old backstop.
Cruz appeared in 69 games for the Cardinals last season, hitting .204 with two home runs and 11 RBI. He primarily played catcher in place of the injured Yadier Molina, but he also spent some time at third base. Over the course of his five-year MLB career, Cruz has played first base, second base and right field as well.
The former 26th-round pick was made expendable when the Cardinals signed Brayan Pena to be their new backup catcher behind Molina, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Trading Cruz also allowed the Cards to avoid going to arbitration prior to Wednesday's deadline.
In going from St. Louis to Kansas City, Cruz won't have to travel far geographically, and his role doesn't figure to change much either. He will continue to provide depth behind one of the best catchers in baseball, but now his superior will be Salvador Perez.
The move could mean that the Royals plan to move on from arbitration-eligible catcher Drew Butera, who was the No. 2 catcher behind Perez last season.
Cruz certainly hasn't put up strong offensive numbers over the course of his career, as he has struggled at the plate, but he is a steady presence behind the plate who will also provide KC with some flexibility due to his penchant for playing multiple positions.
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