The Reds signed catcher Alex Jackson to a minors deal, as per Jackson’s MLB.com profile page. While not specified, the contract presumably includes an invitation for Jackson to attend Cincinnati’s big league spring camp. Jackson chose to become a minor league free agent last month after he was outrighted off the Rays’ 40-man roster in September.
A veteran of five Major League seasons, Jackson’s 58 games and 155 plate appearances last year represented a new career high for the backstop, though he did very little with the opportunity. Jackson hit only .122/.201/.237 over those 155 PA, with his 29 wRC+ was a whopping 71 percent below the league-average 100 wRC+ threshold. These numbers essentially matched Jackson’s career .132/.224/.232 slash line in 340 PA with the Rays, Brewers, Marlins, and Braves.
It has been something of an unexpected career arc for Jackson, whose was seen as something of a hit-first catcher when the Mariners selected him sixth overall in the 2014 draft. Jackson instead morphed into a quality defensive backstop who has simply been unable to hit big league pitching. The Rays were content enough with Jackson’s defense to give him semi-regular playing time in 2024, but finally moved on by removing him from their 40-man roster in September.
Cincinnati declined its club option on Luke Maile and Austin Wynns became a minor league free agency after the season, leaving the Reds in sore need for a backup catcher to spell starter Tyler Stephenson. Jackson and Stephenson are the only catchers in the organization with any MLB experience, and it is likely the Reds will bring in one or two more catchers to compete with Jackson in Spring Training.