The Mariners announced that catcher Andrew Knapp has elected minor league free agency after passing through outright waivers unclaimed. Seattle designated him for assignment over the weekend.
Knapp’s stay with the Mariners proved quite brief. Seattle added the switch-hitting backstop on a non-roster deal in late May. He spent a bit more than a month with Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .198/.250/.432 with four home runs through 88 plate appearances. The Mariners added him to the major league team during the final week of June upon losing Luis Torrens to the injured list, but they let Knapp go once Torrens returned to health.
The 2022 season has been a bit of a roller-coaster for Knapp, who has appeared with three different organizations. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds during the offseason and spent Spring Training with Cincinnati. Knapp triggered an opt-out clause after failing to make the team out of Spring Training, and he quickly landed a big league deal with the Pirates thereafter. He appeared in 11 games with Pittsburgh before the Bucs DFA him, and he only suited up twice at the MLB level for the Mariners.
Before this year, Knapp had spent his entire career with the Phillies. The former second-round pick appeared in five seasons with Philadelphia, generally in a backup capacity. He hit .214/.314/.322 over that stretch, but he owns a more tenable .252/.322/.389 line through four years in Triple-A. Knapp has never been an impact offensive player in the upper levels, but he shouldn’t have much trouble finding a minor league spot again with teams always on the lookout for experienced catching depth.
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