The Brewers add a veteran to their catching depth, signing former Blue Jay and Red Sox Reese McGuire to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training and Major League camp, according to Adam McCalvy.
This comes after the Brewers have announced 15 non-roster invitees to spring training. Amongst those names are Ramon Rodriguez, Matt Wood, and Darrien Miller, who all play the catcher position.
The former 14th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft has had stints with the Blue Jays, White Sox, and Red Sox before signing a minor league deal last season with the Cubs. McGuire played 44 games last season with a .226/.245/.444 line with nine home runs and 24 RBI. Both of which are career highs across his eight seasons in the league.
With only 38 men on the 40-man roster, and only two catchers occupying spots, McGuire has the opportunity to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster as the backup for two-time all-star and silver slugger winner, William Contreras. The only person who stands in his way is catcher prospect Jeferson Quero.
McGuire has played more of a platoon role with his previous teams, with the likes of Carson Kelly last season, Connor Wong, and even former Brewers catcher Danny Jansen. He has more success against a right-handed pitcher, so he would likely be used in those situations.
He would provide a solid competition for Quero, who has had a history of injuries that have stunted his growth to the major league roster and has even been removed from MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects.
If McGuire earns a spot, they can still option Quero back down to Nashville. While it may use his third minor league option, Quero does qualify for a fourth option should they go with McGuire.