By Louis Addeo-Weiss
The Miami Marlins agreed to terms with veteran catcher Francisco Cervelli on a 1-year/$2 million deal Monday, this according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
The twelve-year veteran split the 2019 season between Pittsburgh and Atlanta, where he struggled offensively, hitting .213/.302/.349 with a 71 OPS+.
Expected to serve as the team’s backup catcher, Cervelli will look to aid a young pitching staff as the team goes about their third season of rebuilding in the Derek Jeter-era.
One aspect of Cervelli’s game that has always been appealing to teams is his ability to get on base at the catching position, with his .361 on-base percentage in the 2010s ranking 5th among catchers with at least 600 games played.
This is something the team’s starting backstop, Jorge Alfaro, could pick up on. In two seasons in Miami, Alfaro has a .317 on-base percentage and a 95 OPS+, drawing just 40 walks over 842 plate appearances.
One question surrounding Cervelli is his health.
The 33-year old’s 2019 can be chalked up as a lost season, as the veteran appeared in just 48 games due to battling multiple concussions. At one point, Cervelli came out and said he was giving up catching altogether, so any contributions they get out of him in 2020 will serve as a plus.
It is important to remember that Cervelli is just one year removed from a 2018 season which saw him post a career-best.378 on-base and 123 OPS+, while hitting a career-high 12 home runs.
