Arizona Diamondbacks Acquire Catcher Chris Herrmann

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded from a position of depth to obtain some depth, when they acquired catcher Chris Herrmann from the Minnesota Twins.

The General Managers’ meetings are underway and it’s time for the Arizona Diamondbacks to begin work on taking the next step in improving their roster toward being a team that compete for National League West Division Championships for many years to come.

Well, the Diamondbacks have made their first move of the off-season, when the team acquired catcher Chris Herrmann from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league infielder/outfielder Daniel Palka.

For the Diamondbacks, it’s trading from a position of depth to add depth to another position in need. With Jarrod Saltalamacchia being a free agent and the Diamondbacks needing more depth behind Welington Castillo with Tuffy Gosewisch coming off a major knee surgery, it makes sense to add another catcher with big league experience to the roster. The Diamondbacks also have young Oscar Hernandez in the fold as well.

Herrmann, who will be 28 in a few weeks, has played 142 games over the last four years for the Twins. He has a career average of just .181 with six home runs and 33 RBIs. Herrmann does have more use than just at catcher. Over his career, he has seen time in the corner outfield and at first base. It’s likely in Arizona that he’ll just remain at catcher with good depth at those other spots.

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Palka had 29 home runs last year for high-A. He was a third-round pick in 2013, and at 24-years-old, was caught up in a position that the team already had great depth at. With a numbers game on the roster and Palka still at high-A, it’s a deal that makes sense for both sides. The Twins get a young bat, while the Diamondbacks get more catcher depth.