Former Detroit Tigers’ catcher Gerald Laird signs two year deal with Atlanta Braves – MLB Update
According to a leading sports website, backup catcher Gerald Laird has separated himself from the Detroit Tigers. Reports are that the 33-year-old free agent is looking to a sign a two year contract with the Atlanta Braves.
The terms of the deal are not known yet but it is believed the deal is likely to be for two years. Laird has played two seasons with the Tigers from 2009-2010 and 2012. He also made his second World Series appearance in 2012, having won in 2011 with the
St. Louis Cardinals.
Laird, who is also known as G-Money, had an excellent time on the plate in first half of the 2012 regular season as he hit .306 with a decent .361 OBP. However, he lost his way a bit after the mid season break and finished the season on a .282 average with
two home-runs and 11 RBI’s.
“He can catch and throw,” Dombrowski said. “From an offensive perspective, in the backup catcher role you're not expecting a great deal.”
Laird tweeted: “Thanks for the ride Detroit! Will miss you all, excited to start a new journey in Atlanta.”
“Congratulations to David Price on winning his first Cy Young Award,” Laird said. “He's a great pitcher and had a tremendous season, so it's definitely a well-deserved honor. Missing out on the Cy Young by such a close vote is tough, but the team comes first
and our focus is on bringing a World Series title to Detroit.”
The catcher was unable to live up to expectations in the playoffs as well as he managed to hit just .50 in 20 at-bats. Although he has limited offensive skills, he brings a lot of value to the table as a solid defender. Surely, the Tigers will miss the veteran
backup catcher.
Manager Jim Leyland will not be too worried about a losing a light hitting backup as they have bigger priorities. Laird was welcome to return but he wanted to test the open market to see if he could find a better deal. It will be interesting to see if Laird
can bring some consistency in his game play in the next season to secure a permanent spot on Braves’ big league roster.
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