Blue Jays sign Henry Blanco

The Toronto Blue Jays have added some catching depth, signing Henry Blanco to a one year, non-guaranteed deal worth $750,000. The journey man backstop will get the chance to play a 16th major=league season in 2013 at the age of 41.

Blanco spent last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, playing just 21 games and hitting .188/.224/.281 in 66 plate appearances. He has a made a career out of being a defense-first backup, playing with nine different clubs since getting his first taste of the majors in 1997. He is a light hitter, even for a catcher, with a career batting line of .227/.291/.367 but he is a good receiver and has a fantastic arm- throwing out 43% of would-be base stealers in his career.

The Blue Jays have been moving their catching depth chart around quite a bit this off-season, they first acquired veteran catcher John Buck in their blockbuster deal with the Marlins and then sent him and top catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey, getting catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas as part of the return. Blanco could compete with Nickeas for the number three spot on that depth chart after Thole and incumbent catcher J.P. Arrencibia.