The Arizona Diamondbacks added to an area of weakness Monday by reportedly agreeing to a minor-league deal with veteran catcher Gerald Laird, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.
Laird has 13 major-league seasons under his belt and spent the last two years with the Atlanta Braves. In 53 games in 2014, the 35-year-old slashed .204/.275/.257 with eight doubles.
The Diamondbacks had been in search of a catcher after trading Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs in December, though general manager Dave Stewart conceded early last month that the club had not made much headway.
Laird's deal includes an invitation to spring training, where he'll compete for time with Tuffy Gosewisch and Rule 5 selection Oscar Hernandez until the organization's top catching prospect, Peter O'Brien, is ready to make the jump to the majors.
"I've decided that I'm not going to pursue another catcher," Stewart told Nick Piecoro of AZCentral in January. "I talked with my people and my coaching staff. They believe that O'Brien is going to be around sooner than later. If that does happen, there's no need to go out and get another guy.
"We would have had to trade somebody we didn't want to trade to make it happen. We're going to be patient and allow the progression of O'Brien to take place and stand pat on that."
