Red Sox sign Kevin Plawecki to one-year deal, per report

The Boston Red Sox are alive, apparently. After a quiet start to the offseason, the Red Sox made a small yet promising move on Thursday by signing free agent catcher Kevin Plawecki to a one-year deal worth $900,000.

Robert Murray was first to report the agreement while USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale was first with the terms.

Plawecki, who turns 29 right around the time that catchers and pitchers report to spring training, was drafted by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2012 draft and debuted for them in 2015, appearing in 237 games for them before being traded to the Cleveland Indians for for Sam Haggerty and Walker Lockett.

In 59 games with the Indians, Plawecki slashed .222/.287.342 with 17 RBI on 35 hits, including a trio of homers. He walked 12 times and struck out 31. In 418 innings behind the plate, he recorded 418 putouts and 19 assists while turning a pair of double players and committing a pair of errors. His -9.6 offensive fWAR is hideous, but 5.4 defensive fWAR is promising. Lastly, Plawecki tallied 63 wRC+ and a not-very-intriguing score of one in the defensive runs saved above average column.

Boston traded Sandy Leon to Cleveland for next to nothing this offseason. On that same day, the Indians non-tendered Plawecki. So while this trade is essentially a Leon-for-Plawecki swap, the latter is being paid $1.1 million less than the former’s $900,000.

Plawecki is a potential candidate for spring training cuts, but for now, he’s expected to slot into a backup role by defensive wizard Christian Vazquez who can also swing a hot bat.