The A's announced they have reached an agreement with catcher Chris Herrmann.
News of the agreement was originally reported by Jerry Crasnick. Jon Heyman of Fancred reported it as a one-year, $1 million deal.
Herrmann spent 2018 with the Mariners where he played in 36 games. He finished his campaign with a .237.322/.421with two home runs ... one of which was a walk-off shot against Oakland:
The last photo of Chris Herrmann available on USA Today is of him getting a Gatorade shower because he hit a walk-off bomb against ... the A's. pic.twitter.com/fWnhz1Bm9r— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) December 11, 2018
The A's recently agreed to terms with backup catcher Josh Phegley on a one-year deal and Jonathan Lucroy, who sported green and gold last season, is in a different situation of his own. As Susan Slusser reported, the 32-year-old would accept a one-year deal, but the two aren't on the same page in regard to contract negotiations.
[RELATED: Lucroy, A's far apart in negotiations]
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This could mean, just like Jed Lowrie, they could be moving on.
Herrmann has moved around a lot on the defensive side of the ball. He's played in every position in the outfield on top of behind the plate and even spent some time playing first.
His power increased from 2017, but his massive power surge in 2016 is something of note. It's up to you if you want to determine whether or not Chase Field's ballpark factor is something that carried that or not, but a .284 batting average with a .209 ISO is something that cannot be ignored.
It'll be interesting to see how he fairs, but he's no stranger to the American League from being with the Twins for four years, and most recently the AL West. If his power can stay where it has been in the past, he could be an underappreciated addition to the lineup -- especially with his defensive diversities.
