The Braves made a trade today, acquiring catcher Kevan Smith from the Tampa Bay Rays. He is active for tonight’s game and will likely be the backup for the foreseeable future behind William Contreras.
The #Braves today acquired C Kevan Smith from Tampa Bay for cash considerations. Smith is active for tonight’s game and will wear No. 52.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 19, 2021
Smith has been a backup catcher for the last six years in the MLB and has posted pretty good numbers with the stick — .271 career average, .704 OPS, and 90 OPS+. Nothing sexy, but significantly better than Jeff Mathis, who was subsequently designated for assignment. Last year, Smith had an .830 OPS is 17 games for the Rays. The Braves also signed Jonathan Lucroy over the weekend, so the hope has to be the combination of Contreras, Smith, and Lucroy will be enough to hold down the catching duties for the next few months until Travis d’Arnaud can return.
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Photo: Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire
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