The Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly agreed to a deal with a catcher this winter to bolster their depth ahead of spring training.
Not that catcher — a different one.
On Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported the Phillies are bringing in Mark Kolozsvary on a minor league deal. The veteran catcher has appeared in 11 big-league games over the course of his career.
“Catcher Mark Kolozsvary has agreed to a minor league deal with the Phillies that includes an invite to major league spring training, league sources said,” Sammon wrote on X.”
This past season was one to forget for Kolozsvary. He spent most of his year at Double-A Portland in the Boston Red Sox farm system, where he slashed .189/.2289/.425. Kolozsvary also recorded 10 hits in 22 at-bats when he reached Triple-A Worcester. However, his time at Triple-A was very short-lived.
The 30-year-old catcher has not played in the major leagues since 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles. He made his Major League debut in 2020 with the Cincinnati Reds, and he recorded four hits in his 20 at-bats with the organization.
It’s unlikely the Phillies will use Kolozsvary in the big leagues next season, but teams always bring in an ample number of catchers ahead of spring training given how many pitchers need to throw daily. Kolozsvary would likely play most of his games, under the premise that he isn’t released during spring training, at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
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