The Braves acquired catcher Raffy Lopez from the Padres for cash considerations, the organization announced Thursday.
Lopez, 31, slashed .176/.265/.284 with three homers in 37 games last season. He’s a four-year major leaguer, having previously spent time with the Cubs, Reds and Blue Jays.
He’s a career .184 hitter over 76 major-league games. After bouncing between the majors and minors, Lopez was pushed out of the Padres system.
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It’s a minor move, but the Braves needed veteran catching depth in their system. They carried Chris Stewart through much of 2018, and he filled in when Tyler Flowers was injured earlier in the year. The experienced Rene Rivera is a free agent.
Lopez addresses a system need at negligible cost. The Braves are searching for a catcher to pair with Flowers, be that re-signing Kurt Suzuki, acquiring Miami’s J.T. Realmuto or another avenue.
