The Rockies made a minor transaction ahead of the deadline on Friday. They shipped left-handed reliever Jerry Vasto to the Royals for catcher and sometimes pitcher Drew Butera. The move doesn’t affect the 40-man roster.
The 35-year-old Butera will be the fourth catcher on the 40-man roster, joining Chris Iannetta, Tony Wolters, and Tom Murphy. In 166 plate appearances for the Royals in 2018, Butera has hit .188/.259/.289. Most of that has come at catcher, but he’s also played a bit of first base. Notably, Butera has also been called upon to pitch in emergency situations in four separate seasons.