The Braves have added a veteran catcher to their AAA squad in Gwinnett but with a twist.
The #Braves are signing veteran catcher Jeff Mathis to a minor league contract, a source tells The Athletic. Mathis, a 16-year veteran who turns 38 on Wednesday, is looking to transition into coaching.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) March 30, 2021
Chase talked about the Braves possibly adding Jonathan Lucroy yesterday, but I see the vision with this move. The Braves have a stable of young catchers (and pitchers) that could use a veteran mentor with none on the roster outside of Travis d’Arnaud. William Contreras, Shea Langeliers, and Alex Jackson are all 25 years old or younger, and Mathis provides a lot of experience.
Mathis can also serve as an emergency backup catcher if Alex Jackson doesn’t pan out and the front office isn’t comfortable bringing up Contreras just yet. Mathis only had 62 at-bats in 2020 with a .575 OPS. He has never been mistaken for a Silver Slugger, but he has managed to stick around since 2005 with his steady defense and dependability. I think the Braves could easily have their eye on him as a coach, which is why they gave him this contract going into 2021.
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