Indians sign Pagnozzi

Matt Pagnozzi

Today the Cleveland Indians announced that they have signed free agent catcher Matt Pagnozzi to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League spring training.

Pagnozzi, 29, is a journeyman catcher with nine years of pro experience and spent most of the 2011 season at Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Rockies organization where he hit .275 (49-for-178) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers and 29 RBI in 54 games. He also piled up a .548 slugging percentage and .851 OPS off of left-handed pitching. He spent some time with the Rockies from June 17th to July 15th by playing in 7 games. He was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 14th and finished the year with Pittsburgh playing in 5 games. In 12 games at the big league level in 2011 he went 8-for-29 (.276).

Pagnozzi was drafted and signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 8th round of the 2003 Draft. He spent eight years with the Cardinals from 2003-10 and made his Major League debut during the 2009 season and in 2010 he hit .359 (14-for-39) with 2 2B, 1 HR and 10 RBI in 15 games with the Cardinals. His career big league batting average is .310 (22-for-71) in 33 games. He is also the nephew of former NL All-Star and Rawlings Gold Glove catcher Tom Pagnozzi.

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