The Cardinals have re-signed catcher Chance Sisco to a minor league contract for the 2025 season. The team revealed the news via the Cardinals Player Development account on X.
Sisco, who will turn 30 in February, is a veteran of five big league seasons, although he has not played in the majors since 2021. Selected by the Orioles in the second round of the 2013 draft, he rose through the system over the next four years, hitting well at every step along the way. By the time the 2017 season rolled around, he was Baltimore’s top-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, ESPN, and FanGraphs. Unfortunately, Sisco was never able to put things together at the highest level. Over 196 MLB games from 2017-21, he slashed .197/.317/.337, good for an 82 wRC+. Those numbers just weren’t strong enough for a catcher who also produced below-average blocking, throwing, and framing metrics.
The Orioles designated Sisco for assignment in June 2021, and the Mets put in a claim. However, he appeared in just five games for the Mets down the stretch before they, too, DFA’d him in September. He then bounced between the Mariners and Twins minor league systems, the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League, and the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League before signing a minor league deal with the Cardinals this past August. Evidently, the Cardinals liked what they saw from Sisco in the Atlantic League (.274/.416/.609 slash line) enough to bring him into the organization, and they liked what they saw during his brief stint with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds to bring him back for the 2025 campaign. Over seven games with Memphis, the backstop went 5-for-23 with one home run, one walk, and two hit-by-pitches.
In further Cardinals news, the team confirmed that they have signed a new minor league deal with Packy Naughton, news the left-hander first announced himself over Instagram. St. Louis also announced the re-signing of nine additional minor leaguers to new contracts for 2025: right-handed pitchers Augusto Calderon, Angel Cuenca, Inohan Paniagua, Dionys Rodríguez, Victor Santos, and Leonardo Taveras; catcher Gavin Collins; infielder Ramon Mendoza; and second baseman and outfielder Darlin Moquete.
I guess they decided to take a chance on him. Sorry, someone was going to say it.
From what I have read, the catcher position is where the Cardinals do have depth in their organization. Therefore, I don’t understand the signing. Maybe for some unknown reason the Cardinals wanted to deprive the Twins from signing him.
Twins wanted to sign him?
Depth guy. You can never have too many catchers. Figure Crooks starts at AAA and Bernal at AA, so you still need someone else at Memphis. Also if they move on from one of the big league catchers this offseason you have a guy waiting with some major league experience.
You can have too many catchers.
At this point the team has Contreras, Herrera and Pages and you only need 2 big leaguers. Someone has to be dealt Herrera or Contreras I imagine.
Twins could still get him if they really want him. Since Sisco signed a minor league deal he isn’t on the 40 man roster. Twins could take him in the Rule 5 draft. Doubtful they would do it since he would have to remain on the active roster all season but it is a possibility
He’s the backup at AAA. Teams don’t put their best prospects on the bench.
Legit prospects are placed where they can start in the minors to get reps.
But, catcher being as physically demanding as it is, the backup is going to get some playing time on days when the starter doesn’t catch.
So it’s nice from a pitcher development standpoint to have a backup catcher in AAA who knows what he’s doing. It wouldn’t be ideal to make the AAA pitching prospects throw to a really bad catcher.
Plus, as others have said, Sisco’s available in a pinch for the MLB club if injuries hit catcher depth.
So you’re saying there’s a Chance?
You beat me to it.
Aha, the catcher store adds another asset. If only they would do something with any of these guys. Catchers are a needed commodity for many teams. Cardinals drafted 3 catchers in ’24.
I want them to move some of these guys, which they probably will once Crooks is verified as the next great thing.
The Thong song has to be his walk up song!
Compared to Herrera and Pages, Jimmy Crooks is better defensively and equal to or better offensively. They need to move Herrera and Pages. Catchers like them don’t normally fetch much of a return though. But weeds need to be trimmed regardless.
Chance Sisco. The next Mickey Cochrane.
The Sisco Kid in tha hizzy
Well, that was exciting news.
You can’t go right with the Sisco operating system.
The Sisco Kid Was A Friend Of Mine!
His walk up music is “The Thong Song.”
good signing. Every minor league team has 3 catchers. It’s good to stick with what you know, and he did okay with Memphis in limited time.
You can never have too many catchers
There shouldn’t be commas around “too.”