Philadelphia Phillies sign former Toronto Blue Jays catcher

According to Phillies analyst Steve Potter, Philadelphia has signed catcher Rene Pinto to a minor league contract.

The Blue Jays signed Pinto to a minor league contract last September to bolster the team's catching situation, offering another option alongside other Triple-A Buffalo Bisons catchers as the season concluded.

Pinto batted just .214 with 11 strikeouts in 28 at-bats for the Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons.

The right-handed hitting Pinto has shown some power in the minors. He has 57 career Triple-A home runs, slashing .256/.307/.493 in more than 1100 plate appearances at the level.

This winter he has been playing winter ball in his native Venezuela, he is poised to start off the campaign with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate.

However, a move up to the big leagues could be in the future, depending on what happens next with free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto.

If a deal cannot be reached, the Phillies already have Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs as potential replacements in the organization, and now they have another one with Pinto.

The Venezuelan backstop hasn't played in the majors since playing for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2022-2024.

Pinto hit .231/.263/.404 across 82 games. Tampa Bay gave him a brief look as their starting catcher early last year, but he struggled on both sides of the ball and spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A.

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