G-Money is back…
According to FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, the Tigers agreed to a one-year deal with former Tigers catcher Gerald Laird pending the results of a physical.
The terms of the contract are not known at this time however it’s expected that it will be worth around $1 million dollars.
The signing of Laird does fulfill a need for the Tigers who were searching for a veteran right-handed bat to back up starting catcher Alex Avila.
Laird hit .232 with a homer and 12 RBIs in 95 at-bats while serving as Yadier Molina’s backup for the Cardinals this past season.
“We want to have that type of guy who is a guy at the major league level that would be in a position that you feel comfortable putting out there and he’d help you win the ballgame, handle the staff and win a ballgame,” Dombrowski said at his annual state of the team address in early November. “And one of the problems we will have is necessarily luring that type of guy to us, because most of the time they’re going to want to play more.”
During final season with the Tigers before becoming a free agent in 2010, Laird caught 670 2/3 innings however it’s expected that he will catch a fraction of those games. As a backup to Alex Avila, look for Laird to start 35-40 games in 2012.
Ref: Mlive.com, FoxSports.com, RoaroftheTigers.com (image)
