Free agent catcher Gerald Laird is signing a minor league deal with the #dbacks, source says.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) February 2, 2015
Back in December, the Diamonbacks traded starting catcher Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs. The signing of Laird comes as a surprise. General manager Dave Stewart claimed that he was not going to peruse another catcher, obviously, he changed his mind.
"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.
The deal for the 35-year-old has an invitation to spring training attached. He will compete for time with Peter O'Brien, the organizations top catching prospect.
"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 on that."
-Evan Petzold