Christian Vasquez has agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, sources confirmed on Tuesday. The contract is pending a physical.
Vasquez was considered one of the top free-agent catchers on the market, with several teams chasing his signature after he produced a .714 OPS last season. Twins catchers, by comparison, were only able to hit .197 with a .630 OPS last year, making Vasquez a valuable addition to the team.
Last season was a respectable one for the Twins, who finished third in the AL Central despite suffering a barrage of injuries. In addition, starting catcher Gary Sanchez hit just .205 with a .659 OPS in 128 games, including 80 at catcher. While Ryan Jeffers started 56 games as a catcher, he struggled to fare better, hitting .208 in the batter’s box.
Before the Twins were able to secure Vasquez’s services, the catcher had been a top target of the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs.
