Rockies reunite with Iannetta on 2-year deal
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DENVER -- The Rockies reunited with free-agent catcher Chris Iannetta on a two-year deal on Friday.
Iannetta, who turns 35 on April 8, spent last season with the D-backs and hit .254 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs in 89 games. Iannetta played for the Rockies 2006-11 (.235, 63 homers, 236 RBIs) before being traded to the Angels for pitcher Tyler Chatwood prior to the 2012 season.
Last season, Iannetta saw the most playing time in a tandem with a couple of veterans, Jeff Mathis and multi-position player Chris Herrmann, as the D-backs finished second in the National League West and defeated the Rockies in the NL Wild Card Game before falling to the Dodgers in the NL Division Series.
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Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said this week that catching would be one of the club's priorities, and the team made the Iannetta move before the Winter Meetings commence on Monday.
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In 2017, second-year switch-hitter Tony Wolters served as the primary catcher -- with help from veteran Ryan Hanigan, prospect Tom Murphy and Dustin Garneau (now with the Athletics) -- before the Rockies traded for Jonathan Lucroy at the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Lucroy was seen as a stabilizing force for the young pitching staff, as well as a boon to the lineup because of his strike-zone discipline.
Lucroy is a free agent and the Rockies acknowledged talking to him before signing Iannetta, who was part of postseason appearances in 2007 and '09.