CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Cleveland Guardians are making moves.
Thursday, the team announced it had signed free agent C Mike Zunino for the 2023 season.
Zunino, 31, was an American League All-Star in 2021, hitting a career-high 33 home runs, tied for third all-time among AL catchers and the most ever by a Tampa Bay backstop (the previous record was 14).
For the season, he batted .216 (72-for-333) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 33 home runs and 62 RBI in 109 games (.301/.559/.860).
He was third among MLB catchers in bWAR (3.8) behind Salvador Perez (5.3) and Willson Contreras (4.1), leading all MLB players in slugging pct. (.868) and OPS (1.287) vs. left-handed pitching and was an AL Silver Slugger finalist.
This past season, he was limited to 36 games due to a left shoulder injury and did not play after June 9, undergoing season-ending surgery on the shoulder on July 28.
Over his 10-year Major League career, he owns a batting average of .200 (535-for-2674) with 114 2B, 5 3B, 146 HR and 361 RBI in 850 games with Seattle and Tampa Bay.