CLEVELAND — After missing out on a potential trade to acquire Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics, the Cleveland Guardians have filled one of their biggest offseason needs. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Guardians have agreed to a contract with veteran catcher Mike Zunino.
Per Rosenthal, Zunino's deal with Cleveland is a one-year contract worth $6 million.
Selected by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of Florida with the No. 3 pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, Zunino made his major league debut in 2013. After spending the first six years of his career with the Mariners, hitting for a .207 average (.682 OPS), 95 home runs and 241 RBI while posting a defensive Wins Above Replacement (dWAR) of 4.2, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the 2019 season.
In 2021, Zunino turned into a career year at the plate, hitting for a .216 average (.860 OPS), 33 home runs and 62 RBI, as well as an MLB-best .868 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers. For his efforts, he was selected to his first career MLB All-Star Game.
The 31-year-old Zunino was limited to just 36 games in 2022 as he underwent season-ending surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in his left arm in July. In coming to Cleveland, the right-handed hitter will likely serve as the Guardians' primary starting catcher, with 22-year-old Bo Naylor also possessing the potential to see significant playing time after spending last season in Triple-A Columbus.
Cleveland's signing of Zunino comes just one day after the Atlanta Braves acquired Murphy -- a Centerville, Ohio, native who spent his college career at Wright State -- in a three-way trade with the A's that also included the Milwaukee Brewers.