Boston Red Sox, Michael Brenly agree on minor league deal

Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

It’s the time of year where teams load up on minor league free agents, looking to add depth to the roster at nearly every position. The Boston Red Sox, who already have five catchers on their 40-man roster and another who’s close to pushing his way into the mix, have agreed to a minor league deal with backstop Michael Brenly, according to MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo.

There’s no word on whether Brenly was given an invitation to Spring Training but that doesn’t appear likely given the team’s existing options.

Brenly was originally a 36th Round pick in the 2008 Draft by the Chicago Cubs, but he’d never advance beyond Double-A with the organization. He figured to serve as organizational depth – no projections ever had him as anything more than a MLB backup, at best – but the Cubs elected to release him at the end of March last season. He’d end up signing a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks just days later but would appear in just 8 games with the team’s Triple-A affiliate. He’s a career .249/.305/.332 hitter in 1,599 plate appearances over his minor league career.

The son of former MLB catcher and manager Bob Brenly, there’s little reason to expect a substantial impact from Michael’s addition to the mix within Boston’s system. It’s also tough to predict where he could end up. David Ross and A.J. Pierzynski will share the bulk of the duties in Boston, pushing Ryan Lavarnway back to Pawtucket to share at bats with Dan Butler and Christian Vazquez. Meanwhile Blake Swihart will likely receive most of the playing time at Portland.