1/8/26 : Phillies sign Catcher Rene Pinto to minor league contract
- Steve Potter
- Jan 8
- 1 min read
Updated: Feb 16
Free agent catcher Rene Pinto has signed a minor league contract with the Phillies for the 2026 season. The now 29 year old was originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays on 10/1/13 from Maracay, Venezuela. He was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on 11/4/24 and then the Arizona Diamondbacks on 1/10/25. Arizona released him on 8/27/25 - he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on 9/1/25 and then elected free agency on 11/6/25.
Pinto played in 83 major league games with the Rays from 2022 to 2024 and posted a .231/.263/.404 slash line with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in 237 career plate appearances. Last season he played at the AAA level with Reno (AZ affiliate) and Buffalo (Toronto affiliate) and hit 12 home runs with 47 RBIs in 259 plate appearances. He’s a career .267/.321/.451 minor league hitter with a .772 OPS in 2,767 plate appearances with 90 home runs and 402 RBIs. He played winter league baseball in Venezuela for the Leones de Caracas this off-season.
He’s known as a solid defensive catcher (game calling/framing) with a strong arm with some pop. Likely becomes part of the catching corps at AAA level Lehigh Valley.
From a fan’s view welcome to the Phillies Rene!
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
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