The Tigers have signed catcher Tomas Nido to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com’s transaction log. He has already been added to the lineup for the Triple-A Toledo MudHens, making the signing official. Nido, who is represented by ACES, played for the Cubs and Mets earlier this season but was released by Chicago at the end of August. Since he signed in September, he won’t be eligible for postseason play if the Tigers make it, but he will provide valuable depth behind the plate in the final weeks of the season.
Nido, 30, has played 49 games this season for both the Mets and Cubs, posting a disappointing .192/.219/.315 batting line over 140 at-bats. However, he has consistently received praise for his defensive skills as a catcher. His caught-stealing rate of 23% is above the league average of 21%, and he excels at blocking pitches in the dirt. Unfortunately, this marks his second consecutive season with a batting average below .200 and an on-base percentage under .220.
Despite his recent struggles at the plate, Nido is not far removed from being a reliable backup catcher with the Mets. From 2020 to 2022, he batted .236/.275/.338 in exactly 500 plate appearances while establishing himself as one of the top defensive catchers in the league.
His offensive performance during that span was approximately 28% below league average, but catchers typically have lower offensive stats compared to other positions. The average catcher is usually about 10% to 12% worse than average offensively, so Nido’s batting shortcomings were less noticeable given his strong defensive contributions.
The Tigers traded Carson Kelly to the Rangers before the deadline and have not received significant offensive output from Jake Rogers and rookie Dillon Dingler. Rogers is an elite defensive catcher and has managed to hit 10 home runs and 15 doubles this season. Nido may get a chance to play if either player ends up on the injured list, but he is likely to become a minor league free agent at the end of the season.
