Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Rene Pinto was designated for assignment on Wednesday, leaving Jose Herrera as the primary backup catcher for the Diamondbacks behind Gabriel Moreno. Pinto was claimed off of waivers in January from the Orioles and went 5-for-19 (.263) in his 11 games this spring. Herrera went 10-for-33 (.303) in his 12 games and has been with the team for the past three seasons. Last year, Herrera hit .227 in 42 games with a .271 wOBA and 70 wRC+. While Herrera remains off the fantasy radar for now, Pinto will get a chance to catch on with another organization after already moving from the Rays to the Orioles to the Diamondbacks this offseason.
According to Alex Weiner of AZ Sports, the Arizona Diamondbacks have claimed catcher Rene Pinto off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Pinto will now join a crowded catching room that consists of Gabriel Moreno, prospect Adrian Del Castillo, and Jose Herrera. Pinto has spent his entire major league career with the Tampa Bay Rays. Last season, Pinto appeared in 19 games and posted a .214/.292/.429 line with three doubles and two home runs. Across 83 career major league games, the 28-year-old holds a .231/.263/.404 line with ten home runs. Given the crowded state of the Arizona catcher room, this may suggest that Del Castillo may see time as a designated hitter this season, or another transaction is in the works. For now, fantasy managers should expect Moreno to see the majority of starts behind the dish.
According to Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner, the Baltimore Orioles designated catcher Rene Pinto for assignment to clear a roster spot for the newly-acquired right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton. Pinto was signed by the Orioles earlier this offseason but no longer has a spot on the roster with Gary Sanchez serving as the No.2 catcher behind Adley Rutschman. Pinto has spent his entire professional career with the Tampa Bay Rays. Last summer, across 19 games in the majors, Pinto held a .214/.292/.429 line with three doubles and two home runs. Across 53 games with Triple-A Durham, the 28-year-old posted a .191/.257/.373 slash line with 11 long balls and a 16:84 BB:K ratio. Pinto will likely spend most of the 2025 season in Triple-A if he find a suitor, given his lack of success in the majors.
Tampa Bay Rays catcher Rene Pinto, who is the only catcher currently on the team's 40-man roster, "is going to get a lot of reps," manager Kevin Cash said. Pinto's pitch-blocking was a concern last year, but he graded out well in other defensive areas. His low on-base percentage and high strikeout rates as a hitter could be further exposed in an expanded role, but some of that could be offset by his power, as he hit 15 homers in 265 plate appearances between Triple-A Durham and the majors in 2023. The Rays are going to need to spell Pinto so that he doesn't break down over a long season, but with strong defense and 20-homer power, Pinto could capitalize on a big opportunity in 2024 for both the Rays and fantasy managers.
