As catcher Jett Bandy’s struggles at the plate persisted early on and Stephen Vogt was on the DL, the only reliable catcher the Milwaukee Brewers had, was Manny Pina.
Kratz was a player on GM David Stearns’ radar this past off season. However with Bandy, Vogt and Pina fighting for playing time at the big league level and the up and comer Jacob Nottingham in the minors, Kratz saw little opportunity for playing time in Milwaukee. Instead, Kratz signed with the New York Yankees and began the 2018 season in Triple-A.