Erik

Kratz

While he didn’t officially announce it as his retirement, it seems like the 40-year-old is closing the book on his playing career. Kratz also hinted at a career in coaching -- perhaps as soon as this season -- saying, ""My next season will not be as a player, that’s for sure... I am deciding not to play.” Kratz hit .321/.367.393 with no homers and four RBI in 30 plate appearances for the Yankees during the 2020 campaign and is a career .209/.256/.355 hitter with 31 homers and 105 RBI in 951 plate appearances over his 11 major league seasons.

Erik Kratz, who was the third catcher, has been taken off the roster. King, 25, posted a rough 7.76 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 11 walks through 26 2/3 innings with the Yankees this season. He figures to pitch in a long relief capacity.

Meanwhile, Erik Kratz makes the roster as a third catcher while Miguel Andujar and Thairo Estrada have been left off. Jordan Montgomery is also on as the Yankees carry 13 pitches. Ford hit just .135 with two homers and a .496 OPS over 84 plate appearances during the regular season, but the Yankees apparently like his power from the left side off the bench.

The slumping slugger has posted an embarrassing .587 OPS and 42.1 percent strikeout rate this season and is coming off a golden sombrero Saturday. Erik Kratz will catch Masahiro Tanaka. Aaron Hicks is also getting a breather, with Brett Garder sliding over to center field and Mike Tauchman covering left.

Kratz put the Yankees ahead in the fourth inning, but it didn’t last long, as the Orioles scored five runs in the fourth to move in front. The 40-year-old is 8-for-23 (.348) with two doubles and three RBI in a limited role with New York this season.

Erik Kratz will start behind the plate and bat eighth in the matinee game at Yankee Stadium.

That feels like a long way of saying: the team needed a catcher and called Kratz, who was with the club on a minor league deal this spring. He’ll back up starter Gary Sanchez while Kyle Higashioka recovers from an oblique strain.

Higashioka is currently battling Chris Iannetta, Erik Kratz and Josh Thole for the right to backup Gary Sanchez, but right now, it appears that the 29-year-old has the upper hand. Because of Sanchez’s injury history, there’s a chance that whoever claims the backup gig might be in line for more playing time this summer, but they’ll obviously start the season without any fantasy relevancy.

Kratz batted .102/.170/.204 over 21 games for the Giants and Rays last season before finishing the year at Triple-A with the Yankees. That’s likely where the 39-year-old will likely begin 2020.

The 38-year-old was released by the Rays on Friday after hitting .102/.170/.204 with one homer, three RBI and a 14/2 K/BB ratio in 53 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He’s expected to report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where he’ll add organizational catching depth for the Yankees.