The Diamondbacks have acquired catcher Andrew Knizner off waivers from the Rangers and have sent him to Triple-A Reno, according to announcements from both teams. Knizner was recently designated for assignment by Texas. Arizona has designated Luis FrÃas for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Knizner, 29, was not tendered a contract by the Cardinals last year and then signed with the Rangers for $1.825MM. While not known for his defense, he had a decent .241/.288/.424 batting line with ten home runs in 241 plate appearances with St. Louis last season, resulting in a 92 wRC+, indicating he was slightly below league average as a hitter.
However, this year with the Rangers, Knizner struggled at the plate, hitting .167/.183/.211 with only one home run and a 1.1% walk rate in 93 plate appearances. Texas acquired Carson Kelly from the Tigers before the deadline, leading to Knizner being removed from the roster.
For the Diamondbacks, claiming Knizner provides a chance for a rebound. With injuries to Gabriel Moreno and Tucker Barnhart, Knizner will provide additional depth in Reno. His assignment to the minors also gives him the opportunity for more playing time in a hitter-friendly environment.
FrÃas, 26, has spent his entire career in the Diamondbacks’ organization. He has been shuttled between the majors and minors over the past four years, with a 6.55 ERA in 57 2/3 innings in the big leagues. In the minors, he has shown more strikeouts but still struggles with control.
FrÃas will be out of options next season, potentially making his time with the Diamondbacks limited. The team will have to put him on waivers, and if claimed by another team, he may have less roster flexibility moving forward. With one to two years of service time, he remains under club control and won’t be eligible for arbitration this winter.
