Former Phillie Andrew Knapp signs minor-league deal with Tigers

Andrew Knapp — who served as the backup catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies during the first five seasons of his career — has a new home.

According to Complete Baseball News, Knapp has signed a minor-league deal with the Detroit Tigers. Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press has confirmed the pact, adding that Knapp has been invited to Major League Spring Training by the Tigers.

Now 31, Knapp was a second-round pick by the Phillies in 2013. Gabe Kapler gave Knapp the nod as the Opening Day starting catcher in 2018, and Knapp posted a .404 on-base percentage during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, proving to be a valuable backup for J.T. Realmuto.

Largely, though, the book on Knapp has been that while he’s someone willing to work the count, he is a relatively light hitter whose value comes in his ability to build chemistry with pitchers and serve as a strong clubhouse presence.

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In the midst of a career-year in 2021, eventual National League Cy Young Award winner Zack Wheeler was very complimentary of Knapp.

“Yeah, it’s nice working with Knappy – he’s a solid catcher. I think he would be starting on most teams,” Wheeler told Phillies Nation after a May start at Nationals Park. “He’s got a plan back there, and I love that about catchers. I can kind of just go with it. [I’ll] maybe shake him off a few times, but most of the time we’ve been on the same page. He catches a lot of my bullpens, so he knows what my stuff does, he has an idea and his game prep is one of the best. Him and J.T. really dig into the game prep, so it’s always nice knowing that. And he swung it last year, and he’s doing well this year, so it’s nice to see.”

As Phillies Nation‘s Destiny Lugardo has previously noted, Knapp has spoken of a desire to manager after his playing career concludes. A year after spending time with three organizations — the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants — Knapp will get a chance in Detroit to continue playing. And at worst, he’ll spend the spring getting to see how A.J. Hinch, a former catcher who has become a successful manager, operates.

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