The Cardinals had hoped to find a backup catcher who could provide more of an offensive punch than previous seasons but after not getting top choice Bengie Molina, they appear to have altered their plan.
A press release issued by the club late Tuesday confirmed reports that the Cardinals had signed catcher Gerald Laird to a one-year deal to be the backup for Yadier Molina.
The 31-year-old Laird is a career .242 hitter in eight big league seasons with the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers. He hit just .218 the past two seasons in Detroit with nine home runs and 58 RBIs in 683 at-bats.
General manager John Mozeliak said several times this offseason that he hoped to find a backup who could do more than catch and throw. The Cardinals sacrificed offense for defense with several recent backup catchers but had planned on changing the mold this time around.
Molina would have been the perfect fit but apparently hasn’t made a decision whether or not he wants to retire or play next season. So with not many other options available, the Cardinals signed Laird and will go with defense over offense yet again.
Known more for his defensive skills, Laird has hit .225 or worse in five of his eight seasons in the big leagues. Laird struggled to a .207 batting average and just five home runs and 25 RBIs in 89 games for the Tigers in 2010.
The catcher will fill the Cardinals desire to have someone capable of handling more action and giving Molina more rest. Laird played at least 78 games in each of the past five seasons and averaged 358 at-bats the past four years.
B J Rains
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