Nationals agree to terms with catcher Alex Avila

By Pete Kerzel

Nationals

February 03, 2021, 6:02am

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The Washington Nationals agreed to terms on a one-year contract with catcher Alex Avila on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Avila, 34, is a veteran of 12 Major League seasons, having played for the Minnesota Twins (2020), Arizona Diamondbacks (2018-19), Chicago Cubs (2017), Detroit Tigers (2009-15, 2016) and Chicago White Sox (2016). He's hit .235 with a .348 on-base percentage and a .394 slugging percentage with 146 doubles, 104 home runs and 388 RBI in 1,018 career games.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Avila ranks fourth among Major League catchers in on-base percentage (.354). Behind the plate, he ranks second among Major League catchers (min. 75 G) in caught stealing percentage (43.8%) since 2019. He's thrown out 14 of the 32 runners attempting to steal off of him over this span.

Avila has appeared in 36 Postseason games across six different Postseasons, including a run to the 2012 World Series as a member of the Detroit Tigers and Championship Series appearances in 2013 with Detroit and 2017 with the Chicago Cubs.

In 2020, Avila hit .184 with two doubles, one home run, two RBI, 11 walks and six runs scored in 23 games with the Minnesota Twins.

The Nationals now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.