Luke Maile #21 of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a foul ball in the fifth inning during a MLB game against the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre on July 23, 2019 in Toronto.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed free agent catcher Luke Maile to a one-year deal.
The Pirates made the announcement on Monday. They are in need of help at catcher after declining the option on Elias Diaz. Maile is considered an above average defensive catcher but has struggled at the plate throughout his career. The five-year veteran is a .198 hitter and has 10 home runs and 60 RBIs in 215 games.
Maile made his major league debut with Tampa Bay in 2015. He spent the last three years with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played in a career-high 68 big league games in 2018 and posted career highs in doubles (13) and RBIs (27) while batting .248. He hit just .151 in 44 games for Toronto in 2019.
The move fills up the last remaining open spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster.