Guardians Claim Former Rays Catcher Off Waivers

The Cleveland Guardians claim Christian Bethancourt from the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Cleveland Guardians had a busy Monday afternoon. First, they hired Stephen Vogt to be the team's new manager which is getting praise from players and reporters across baseball. 

Next, the front office turned to the waiver wire and claimed catcher Christian Bethancourt from the Tampa Bay Rays as the Guardians begin their roster construction for the 2024 season.

Bethancourt is a 32-year-old veteran who's played in seven Major League seasons spending time with the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and Rays.  His strength has always been the defense behind the plate as he ranked in the 94th percentile in CS Above Average and 95th percentile in Pop Time during the 2023 season, Per Baseball Savant.

The production at the plate hasn't been great, but Cleveland has seen far worse from a catcher. Bethancourt had a .225 batting average, .635 OPS, and hit 11 home runs last season with the Rays. 

Reading between the lines here, it certainly feels like Bethancourt will take over as the backup catcher behind Bo Naylor next season. Cam Gallagher had this role last season, but an upgrade was needed. He's a great defensive player who could mentor Bo while also appearing behind the plate once or twice a week.

Jun 27, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Christian Bethancourt against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The only current hiccup in that plan is that Bethancourt will need to be added to the 40-man roster, which is currently full thanks to a few moves the Guardians made last week. 

Cleveland will have to clear one of those spots in order to officially add Bethancourt to the team.