ATLANTA — Veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski will return for another season with the Atlanta Braves after agreeing to a $3 million, one-year contract.
The 38-year-old Pierzynski was a rare bright spot for the Braves this past season. Signed to serve mainly as a backup, he wound up handling the bulk of the catching duties, hitting .300 with nine homers and 49 RBIs in 113 games.
A two-time All-Star, Pierzynski has played at least 100 games each of the last 15 seasons. He could be in for another heavy workload if Christian Bethancourt continues to struggle.
Bethancourt was supposed to take over the starting duties but wound up spending most of the year in the minors.