The Rays announced Monday that theyve signed veteran catcher to a minor league contract and invited him to big league camp in spring training. Hell compete with Axel Toupane Jersey fellow non-roster invitee and any subsequent catching additions for playing time alongside . Brantly, 34, has appeared in parts of eight big league seasons but never tallied more than 243 plate appearances in a single MLB campaign. He hasnt appeared in more than six MLB games in a season since 2017 and didnt appear in the Majors at all last year, spending 2023 with the Blue Jays Triple-A club in Buffalo. In 456 trips to the plate as a big leaguer, Brantly carries a .225/.287/.326 batting line. Hes also suited up for a whopping 11 Triple-A seasons and delivered a .267/.325/.390 output in more than 2500 plate appearances. Brantly sports a career 29% caught-stealing rate, and Baseball Prospectus has credited him with strong framing marks in the upper minors dating back to 2019. It still seems quite likely that additional catching help will be brought in by the Rays. Pinto is the only backstop on the teams 40-man roster at present, and although hes a talented defender hes also a 27-year-old with just 188 big league plate appearances and a career .235/.255/.399 batting line in that tiny sample. Brantly is a long shot to crack the Opening Day roster, but hes an experienced hand who can work with catching prospect and the teams young pitchers in spring training and/or in Triple-A Durham this season. Shaun Livingston Jersey