Pirates sign catcher Roberto Perez to 1-year, $5 million contract to replace Jacob Stallings

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Pirates sign catcher Roberto Perez to 1-year, $5 million contract to replace Jacob Stallings

Kevin Gorman | Tuesday, November 30, 2021 2:34 p.m.

The Cleveland Indians’ Roberto Perez watches his three-run home run in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals on July 8, 2021, in Cleveland.

One day after trading NL Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings to the Miami Marlins for three players, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed a two-time AL Gold Glove winner to be their next catcher.

The Pirates signed Roberto Perez to a one-year, $5 million contract Tuesday, bringing the 2019 Wilson MLB defensive player of the year on to replace Stallings as their primary backstop.

Perez, a native of Puerto Rico, is the only catcher on the Pirates’ 40-man roster, after backup Michael Perez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis and Stallings was traded.

Perez, 32, batted .206 with a .657 OPS in eight seasons with Cleveland. His best year was in 2019, when he batted .239 with a .774 OPS, 24 home runs and 63 RBIs in a career-best 119 games. He won the AL Gold Glove in 2019, when he had 30 defensive runs saved, and again in 2020. He has 76 DRS in eight seasons.

The past two seasons, Perez has struggled at the plate. He batted .165 in 32 games in 2020 and .149 with three doubles, seven homers and 17 RBIs in 44 games due to finger and shoulder injuries last season.