Diamondbacks catcher Andrew Knizner cleared waivers following his current DFA and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Reno, reviews Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports activities. The D-backs designated Knizner for task over the weekend to open 40-man roster house for lefty Brandon Hughes.
Whereas Knizner has the appropriate to reject the task primarily based on his four-plus years of main league service, he’ll seemingly settle for it for a few causes. Firstly, he’s 4 weeks shy of 5 years of huge league service time, which is the edge wanted to reject an outright task and retain the remaining wage on a assured contract. Rejecting would imply forfeiting the rest of his $1.825MM wage this season.
Secondly, Knizner can be an possibility for a return to the massive league roster within the occasion of an damage to a number of of the catchers forward of him on the 40-man roster. There’s a minimum of a path, albeit a slender one, to him being introduced again up through the postseason. He’d be ineligible for postseason consideration with a brand new staff and would seemingly wait till the offseason to signal a brand new deal anyhow at this level. As a participant with greater than three years of MLB service who’s been outrighted off a 40-man roster, Knizner can turn out to be a free agent at season’s finish if he’s not added again to the 40-man roster.
Knizner, 29, was non-tendered by the Cardinals final offseason and signed a one-year take care of the Rangers. He appeared in 37 video games with Texas, working as a backup to Jonah Heim and batting simply .167/.183/.211 in 93 journeys to the plate. That was far and away the least-productive run of his profession, although Knizner entered the season as a lifetime .216/.290/.331 hitter in 794 plate appearances with the Playing cards, so he’s by no means precisely been identified for his bat (a minimum of within the main leagues). Texas designated Knizner for task final month, and the D-backs claimed him and optioned him to Reno. He didn’t seem in an enormous league recreation with Arizona however has batted .274/.357/.397 in 84 Triple-A plate appearances with the group.
Heading into the 2024 marketing campaign, Knizner had 4.021 years of huge league service, leaving him 151 days shy of reaching 5 years of service. He’d have been eligible for arbitration with Texas had he spent the whole 12 months on the roster and subsequently ticketed totally free company within the 2025-26 offseason. Nevertheless, he solely accrued 123 days of service within the majors this 12 months and can thus end out the season at 4.144 years. Due to this, whoever indicators him this offseason — presumably on a minor league deal — can have the power to manage him by way of the 2026 season through arbitration, ought to he rebound on the plate and as soon as once more play his manner right into a steadier large league position.
