Rangers sign eight-year veteran Plawecki

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers signed veteran catcher Kevin Plawecki to a Major League deal on Wednesday.

The signing fills a roster spot after utility man Nick Solak was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right foot fracture.

Plawecki is an eight-year MLB veteran who has spent time with the Mets (2015-18), Cleveland (‘19) and the Red Sox (‘20-22). He was selected by the Mets in the supplemental first round of the 2012 MLB Draft. He was designated for assignment by Boston on Saturday and was released from the roster on Monday before being granted his unconditional release on Wednesday.

Plawecki is batting .217 on the season, but he had slashed .275/.310/.350 over his past 30 games with the Red Sox before being DFA’d.

The Rangers now have three catchers on their active roster, with Plawecki joining Jonah Heim and Sam Huff. Interim manager Tony Beasley said Plawecki’s addition allows the coaching staff to take some of the work off Heim’s back as he continues through his first full season as a full-time starter.

“It just frees up what we're trying to do with Jonah, and plus, we could DH Huff or Heim and have them both in the lineup if need be, and still have another catcher to shore up the pitching," Beasley said. "Plus, he's a veteran presence, a guy that's been around and is highly respected, so that can benefit Huff and Heim as well.”

Plawecki joins Heim and Huff along with Meibrys Viloria to become the fourth catcher on the Rangers' 40-man roster, not including Mitch Garver, who is on the 60-day IL after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn right forearm flexor tendon earlier this season.

Garver was the starter for most of the first two months of the season before the forearm injury limited him to DH duty and he ultimately underwent surgery in July. In the meantime, Heim stepped in as the primary catcher.

Before the All-Star break, Heim -- who has been regarded as an elite defensive catcher -- seemed to find his footing at the plate, slashing .262/.313/.467 leading up to the Midsummer Classic. Since then, though, he's hit just .180 in 48 games.

Huff and Viloria combined to catch the remaining 42 games as they bounced between the big leagues and Triple-A Round Rock this season.

Beasley noted that these last few weeks will be an evaluation period for Plawecki and all the catchers as the club looks forward to next year.

“I would assume that by signing him on that, obviously there's some interest to see who he really is and what he can bring to this organization and to his team,” Beasley said. “I don’t think he’s just a body to get us through the season, that’s not the case. We want to see him and see what he could bring in the clubhouse and to the team, maybe, going forward."