CLEVELAND, Oh (SNN-TV) – The Cleveland Guardians are in agreement on a one-year, $6M contract with free-agent and former Rays catcher and Florida Gators star, Mike Zunino.
The former No. 3 overall draft pick has batted under .200 in five of his ten Major League seasons, though he’s partially offset his penchant for punch-outs with strong glove-work and enormous power. This past season was perhaps the worst of Zunino’s career, as he turned in a .148 batting average line in 123 plate appearances before undergoing season-ending surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome.
Just one season prior, however, Zunino mashed a career-best 33 home runs through just 375 plate appearances.