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Tony Wolters

Tony Wolters Announces Retirement

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After playing in parts of seven Major League seasons, Tony Wolters has officially retired.  The catcher made the announcement on his Instagram page, and noted that he’ll be joining the Rockies in a coaching capacity.  MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes that Wolters will be the bench coach for the Rockies’ rookie ball affiliate in the Arizona Complex League.

“There have been countless moments in my career that have been etched in my memory, as if they happened just yesterday,” Wolters said as part of his Instagram message.  “Those moments will be experiences that I will never take for granted and still wonder how I became so lucky to be apart of them.  Today, after 13 years of being a professional baseball player, I have made the decision to retire from the sport that gave me so many incredible experiences.  I feel an immense amount of gratitude towards the game and all the people that it brought into my life.”

Cleveland selected Wolters in the third round of the 2010 draft, and after the Rockies claimed the catcher off waivers in February 2016, Wolters made his MLB debut in a Colorado uniform less than two months later.  That kicked off a five-season run for Wolters in Denver, as the left-handed hitter paired with such righty-swinging backstops as Nick Hundley, Jonathan Lucroy, Chris Iannetta, Elias Diaz, and others in a backup capacity or in a more steady platoon.

There was some fluctuation in Wolters’ year-to-year glovework metrics, but by and large, he was considered a strong defensive catcher.  He finished his career with +24 Defensive Runs Saved, and the Statcast numbers gave him positive grades for his pitch-framing and throwing.  Wolters threw out 65 of 213 baserunners, for an impressive 30.52% caught stealing rate over his career.

Known more for his glove than his bat, Wolters hit .235/.321/.314 over 1266 career plate appearances.  However, the signature moment of his career happened at the plate, when Wolters drove in the winning run in the 2018 wild card game.  With the Rockies and Cubs tied 1-1 in the top of the 13th inning, Wolters sent a single up the middle to score Trevor Story from third base, giving the Rox a 2-1 lead that held through the bottom of the inning.  That game stands out as the Rockies’ most recent postseason victory, as the Brewers then swept the Rox in three games in the NLDS.

After Wolters was non-tendered following the 2020 season, he landed with the Pirates, Cubs, Dodgers, and Twins on a series of deals (all minors contracts except for a big league deal with Chicago) over the last three years.  Wolters appeared 14 MLB games with the Cubs in 2021, two games with the Dodgers in 2022, and his minor league pact with the Twins last winter was entirely spent at the Triple-A level.

Wolters is still just 31 years old, but he’ll now hang up his glove for a new path as a coach.  We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Wolters all the best in his post-playing endeavors, and congratulate him on a fine career on the field.

Twins Agree To Minor League Deal With Tony Wolters

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The Twins and free-agent catcher Tony Wolters are in agreement on a minor league contract, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Wolters, a client of the VC Sports Group, will presumably receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Wolters, 30, was the Rockies’ primary catcher for several years, logging 320 games behind the dish in Colorado from 2017-20 and appearing in 77% of the team’s games between the 2019 season and shortened 2020 campaign. The former third-round pick was long touted for his plus defense, which helped him to offset a lack of offensive prowess. Wolters hit .259/.327/.395 as a rookie in 2016 (although that was just a 77 wRC+ after accounting for Coors Field), but he’s mustered only a .229/.320/.295 output in 1036 plate appearances since that time.

Wolters has spent the past two seasons with the Cubs and Dodgers, respectively, but only appeared in 14 games with the Cubs in ’21 and two games with the Dodgers in ’22. He posted decent Triple-A numbers between the two teams in 2021 (.240/.348/.385 in 260 plate appearances) but limped to a .230/.321/.284 line in 234 trips to the plate with the Dodgers’ top minor league affiliate in 2022.

As noted, however, Wolters has long been a glove-first option behind the plate. He’s thrown out 31% of runners who’ve attempted to steal against him in his career, comfortably better than the league average, has plus framing marks on the whole, and has amassed 24 Defensive Runs Saved in 2827 innings behind the plate.

The Twins signed Christian Vazquez to a three-year, $30MM contract earlier in the offseason, and he’s expected to split time with incumbent Ryan Jeffers behind the dish, comprising Minnesota’s top catching tandem. However, the Twins are thin on catching depth in the upper minors, so Wolters will provide some defensive-minded insurance in the event of an injury at the MLB level.

Dodgers Re-Sign Tony Wolters To Minor League Deal

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The Dodgers are in agreement with backstop Tony Wolters on a new minor league contract, according to an announcement from Triple-A communications director Alex Freedman (Twitter link). He’ll return to their top affiliate in Oklahoma City, where he’s spent virtually all of the 2022 season.

Wolters, 30, originally signed a minor league deal with L.A. last summer. He opened the year in Triple-A and has appeared in 50 games there. Across 193 plate appearances, the lefty-hitting catcher posted a .216/.311/.269 line. He didn’t connect on a home run and struck out at an elevated 26.4% rate, although he did draw free passes at a quality 11.4% clip.

Two weeks back, Wolters made his team debut at the big league level. Selected onto the roster when regular backup Austin Barnes was away from the team to tend to a family matter, Wolters spent a weekend as the #2 behind Will Smith. That always looked like a temporary arrangement until Barnes returned to reassume his customary role, and the Dodgers designated Wolters for assignment and released him a few days later. It’s not uncommon for veterans of his ilk to go unclaimed on waivers after brief stints as a depth option in the majors, then to return to the organization on a new minor league arrangement.

Wolters’ tepid offensive output in Triple-A is in line with his body of work at the big league level. He’s never been an impactful hitter, compiling a career .235/.321/.314 line over parts of seven MLB seasons (the bulk of which came with the division-rival Rockies). He’s a highly-rated defender, however, having checked in 24 runs better average in just shy of 3000 MLB innings behind the dish, in the estimation of Defensive Runs Saved. Wolters consistently posts strong pitch framing marks and has thrown out an above-average 30.5% of attempted base-stealers in the majors. That defensive prowess makes him a good fit for the upper level depth role to which he’ll return with Los Angeles.

Dodgers Release Tony Wolters

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Aug. 19: The Dodgers have released Wolters, per the transactions log at MLB.com.

Aug. 15: The Dodgers announced Monday that catcher Austin Barnes has been reinstated from the family medical emergency list. Fellow backstop Tony Wolters was designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for Barnes’ return.

Wolters, 30, was added to the roster as the corresponding move when Barnes initially stepped away from the team for family reasons thus past Friday. He appeared in a pair of games over the weekend but went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his very brief time as a member of the Dodgers. He’ll now be placed on outright waivers or released in the next week.

A familiar face for the Dodgers and their fans thanks to a lengthy stint as the primary catcher for the Rockies, Wolters has appeared in just 16 big league games since leaving Colorado following the 2020 season (14 with the Cubs last year, plus these two with L.A.). He caught 391 games with the Rox from 2016-20, hitting .238/.323/.319 with strong defensive marks for most of his time calling Coors Field home.

Wolters was batting .216/.311/.270 in 193 plate appearances with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate at the time of his selection to the big league roster. In all, he’s a .235/.321/.314 hitter in parts of seven Major League seasons (1266 plate appearances).

Dodgers Select Tony Wolters, Designate Rylan Bannon

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The Dodgers announced they’ve selected catcher Tony Wolters to the big league roster. He’ll take the spot of Austin Barnes, who’s going on the family emergency list (a placement that can last anywhere from three to seven days). To create space for Wolters on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles designated infielder Rylan Bannon for assignment.

Wolters is up for the first time this season to make his Dodgers debut. The longtime Rockies backstop also suited up with the Cubs last season. He’ll be making a big league appearance for a seventh straight year if he gets into a game. The lefty-swinging Wolters hasn’t done much at the plate as a big leaguer, owning a career .236/.322/.315 line in over 400 contests despite playing the bulk of his home games at Coors Field. He’s rated as an excellent pitch framer throughout his MLB career, though, and he’s cut down an above-average 30.7% of attempted basestealers in the big leagues.

The 30-year-old has spent the entire 2022 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City after signing a minor league deal last summer. He’s hitting .216/.311/.269 over 50 games, drawing walks at a strong 11.4% clip but not connecting on a single home run and striking out at a 26.4% rate. He’ll offer a defense-minded backup behind Will Smith while Barnes attends to a family matter.

The Dodgers just claimed Bannon off waivers from the Orioles earlier in the week. It was a return to the 26-year-old’s original organization, as he entered pro ball as a Dodgers draftee back in 2017. Los Angeles included Bannon in the Manny Machado trade a year later, and he’s spent most of the past four years in the upper minors with the O’s. His return to the Dodgers could prove very brief, as he’ll now find himself back on waivers within the next few days.

Bannon has played in four big league games with Baltimore this season, the first MLB action of his career. He’s otherwise spent the year with the O’s top affiliate in Norfolk, putting up a .229/.347/.407 line over 326 trips to the plate. Bannon has hit 11 homers and walked in 13.8% of his plate appearances, but he’s punched out at a 26.7% clip this year.

Jake Lamb, Kevin Pillar Will Open Season In Triple-A With Dodgers

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The Dodgers reassigned several non-roster invitees to minor league camp today, including Jake Lamb, Kevin Pillar, Tony Wolters, Shane Greene, Reyes Moronta, Tomas Telis, Stefen Romero and Eddy Alvarez.

While many minor league deals for veterans contain out clauses if they don’t make the roster, Lamb will remain with the Dodgers, per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (Twitter link). His minor league deal does have out clauses in both May and July, Toribio adds. Similarly, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya tweets that Pillar passed on his first opt-out opportunity (April 2) but has other opt-out chances later in the deal.

Lamb had a huge Spring Training, going 9-for-27 with a pair of homers and three doubles, but his bid to make the roster as a corner bat off the bench will come up a bit short, at least initially. Los Angeles is going with a short three-man bench to begin the season, deferring to a slate of 16 pitchers at least early on in the wake of an abbreviated Spring Training.

Pillar, meanwhile, signed a bit later and had just two hits in 18 plate appearances, albeit one of them being a home run. He, in particular, seems like a candidate to eventually get a look as a bench option for the Dodgers, who don’t look as though they’ll carry a traditional fourth outfielder alongside backup catcher Austin Barnes, utility infielder Hanser Alberto and infielder/outfielder Edwin Rios. The recent trade of AJ Pollock thinned out the outfield mix in L.A., likely leaving Rios and infielder Gavin Lux as the backup options to Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor across the outfield.

It’s not yet clear whether all of the players who were reassigned today will stick with the team and head to the minors, though it’s common this time of year to see veterans on non-roster deals return to the open market or, in some instances, be traded to another club that has a more clear opening for their services.

Dodgers Sign Tony Wolters To Minors Contract

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The Dodgers have signed catcher Tony Wolters to a minor league deal, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports (via Twitter).  Wolters is expected to report to the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate.

Wolters had been playing in the Cubs’ farm system on another minor league deal, but the catcher was released earlier this week.  Since Chicago had previously outrighted Wolters off the 40-man roster twice this season, it was apparent he wasn’t in the team’s plans, especially when Wolters wasn’t recalled even after multiple other Cubs catchers went down to injury.

The 29-year-old will now get another shot in the NL West, as Wolters began his career by playing with the Rockies from 2016-20.  Between that action and his 14 games with the Cubs this season, Wolters hasn’t done much at the plate (.236/.322/.315 in 1262 career plate appearances) but he is a well-regarded defensive catcher.  Wolters and fellow veteran Tim Federowicz will provide some Triple-A depth behind the Dodgers’ established catching combo of Will Smith and Austin Barnes.

Cubs Outright Tony Wolters

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Cubs catcher Tony Wolters has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa, per his transactions log at MLB.com. Chicago designated the 28-year-old for assignment earlier this week when they selected the contract of fellow backstop P.J. Higgins.

Having already been outrighted earlier this season, Wolters had the right to elect free agency after passing through waivers unclaimed. However, he’s decided to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Iowa, where he’s listed on the active roster.

Wolters spent his entire MLB career prior to this season with the Rockies, working as Colorado’s primary catcher for a good portion of the 2016-20 seasons. The Rockies non-tendered him last November and he later hooked on with the Pirates on a minor league deal. After failing to crack Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster, Wolters opted out and signed with the Cubs, where he’s picked up 30 MLB plate appearances so far in 2021.

The left-handed hitting Wolters has never made much of an impact at the plate. He’s generally regarded as a solid receiver and leader of a pitching staff, though, and he has cut down an impressive 30.7% of attempted base stealers at the big league level. Wolters will give the Cubs a quality defensive option as high minors depth.

Cubs DFA Tony Wolters, Select P.J. Higgins

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The Cubs made a change at their backup catcher spot today, selecting P.J. Higgins from Triple-A and designating veteran Tony Wolters for assignment, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Higgins joined the Cubs as a 12th-round pick in 2015, and he hasn’t yet played in the majors. The 28-year-old has batted .273/.359/.370 with 21 home runs in 2,014 minor league plate appearances. He’ll take over as the Cubs’ backup catcher behind Willson Contreras.

Wolters, 28, signed a minor league contract with the Cubs in March. The former Rockie opened this season with a .125/.276/.125 line in 30 trips to the plate before the Cubs designated him. He’s a lifetime .236/.322/.315 batter with seven HRs in 1,262 PA in the bigs.

Cubs Place Austin Romine On 10-Day IL, Select Tony Wolters

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The Cubs have placed catcher Austin Romine on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain and selected the contract of fellow backstop Tony Wolters, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was among those to report. The team also moved right-hander Jonathan Holder to the 60-day IL because of a shoulder issue.

This is the second IL stint of 2021 for Romine, an ex-Yankee and Tiger who joined the Cubs on a $1.5MM guarantee in free agency to replace departed backup catcher Victor Caratini. Romine has collected just nine plate appearances and one hit in a reserve role behind Willson Contreras.

Wolters also inked a major league pact with the Cubs heading into the season, after he opted out of a minors contract with the Pirates. The former Rockie appeared in three games with the Cubs earlier this season, but they outrighted him when Romine returned from his prior IL trip. Wolters is a well-regarded defender, though he has only mustered a .237/.323/.318 line with seven home runs in 1,237 plate appearances in MLB.

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