The Toronto Blue Jays have signed catcher Rafael Lopez to a minor-league contract, according to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.
The 29-year-old spent the majority of last season with the Cincinnati Reds’ triple-A affiliate in Louisville. He was briefly called up to the majors in late August, where he went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.
Lopez struggled at the plate in 2016, highlighted by a .262 on-base percentage in 47 minor-league games. His career minor-league slashline is substantially better at .272/.355/.381. He caught 10 baserunners in 35 stolen base attempts (29 per cent) last season, on par with his 30 per cent career average.
Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round of the 2011 draft, Lopez has also spent parts of his career in the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers organizations. He will settle into the Blue Jays upper-minors with the likes of Reese McGuire, Juan Graterol, Mike Ohlman and Alex Monsalve.
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