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The Phillies made a depth move Friday afternoon, signing catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor league deal. The move was first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The #Phillies sign utilityman catcher Christian Bethancourt to minor-league contract with invite to their #MLB training camp. Bethancourt played last season in Korea after playing in the big leagues with Atlanta and the #Padres, and was a PCL All-Star in 2018 with the #Brewers
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 27, 2019
Bethancourt, 28, spent last season with the NC Dinos of the KBO, where he hit .246/.308/.404 in 53 games. The Braves’ former top-100 prospect spent parts of five Major League seasons with Atlanta and San Diego, and his most recent MLB appearance came in April 2017.
Bethancourt has spent most of his career behind the plate as a catcher, but has made some scattered appearances in the outfield and at second base, while also making six mostly-terrible pitching appearances. He’ll join the ranks of Deivy Grullon, Henri Lartigue, and maybe even Andrew Knapp in the battle for the backup (or third) catcher’s spot.