Nationals sign Chris Snyder

The Nationals have signed Chris Snyder to a minor league contract, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN:

Catcher Chris Snyder has agreed to a minor league deal with #nationals.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) February 5, 2013

The one-year deal will bring in Snyder to provide depth at the catcher spot.

Snyder, 31, played for the Astros last season, playing in 76 games. He hit his way to a line of .176/.295/.308, but his plate discipline provides some promise.

The Nationals learned last year that catching depth is important, as starter Wilson Ramos was injured early in the season. The team had to trade for Kurt Suzuki last August to patch a major hole, so if nothing else Snyder should provide some convenient depth for them at a scarce position.

Snyder has played for multiple teams in his career, including the Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Astros. He was at one time considered to be equally talented to Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero, but he did not turn out as expected.

Entering his 10th big-league season, Snyder is a career .225/.329/.385 hitter with 77 home runs in over 2,400 plate appearances.

While the report does not specifically mention an invite to Spring Training, that would appear to be likely.