The New York Yankees are bringing in a familiar face for veteran depth behind the plate.
Per MLB’s transaction log, the Yankees have signed catcher Rob Brantly to a minor league deal. He’ll report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
A 36-year-old with 15 years of professional experience, Brantly should be of major help to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s pitching staff as it looks to clinch a spot in the International League playoffs.
Brantly’s career began upon being selected in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. The UC Riverside product remained with the organization until July 23, 2012, when he was sent to the Miami Marlins as part of a package for Anibal Sánchez and Omar Infante.
The left-handed hitter made his big-league debut on August 14 of that year. In 31 games and 113 plate appearances for the Marlins throughout the rest of the season, Brantly slashed an impressive .290/.372/.460 with three home runs.
He played in 67 contests for Miami during the 2013 campaign and batted .211/.263/.265 across 243 trips to the plate. The club waived Brantly during the following offseason, and the Chicago White Sox would go on to claim him.
He remained with the White Sox through the end of the 2015 season, slashing .121/.167/.242 in 36 plate appearances at the major league level.
The Seattle Mariners would later claim him off waivers from Chicago in March 2016. Brantly spent the entire year in Triple-A, however, and he’d sign a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the 2017 campaign.
Brantley was released that June, though, and he returned to the White Sox on a minor league deal. After playing in 14 games for them that season, he spent 2018 in the minors with the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians.
He played in one game for the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, respectively, before joining New York in August 2020.
May 22, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher Rob Brantly (62) hits a double in the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Brantly did not play for another organization outside of the Yankees until 2023. During his three seasons with the club, he appeared in seven big-league games and posted a .469 OPS.
Since originally leaving the Bronx Bombers before ultimately returning, Brantly endured stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays and Marlins, the latter of whom released him on August 4.
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