Detroit Tigers sign power-hitting catcher Stephen Scott to minor-league contract
Evan PetzoldThe Detroit Tigers have added catching depth.
The Tigers signed catcher Stephen Scott to a minor-league contract, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The 26-year-old launched 19 home runs across 100 games in the upper levels of the minor leagues last season.
The two sides agreed Friday to the deal.
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Scott was released by the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
The left-handed hitter, who didn't become a full-time catcher until 2022, asked for his release from the Red Sox.
The Tigers already have two catchers — Dillon Dingler and Anthony Bemboom — in Triple-A Toledo, meaning Scott could report to Double-A Erie as the primary catcher to begin the 2024 season. He also could find his way into the mix for plate appearances at the Triple-A level as a catcher, first baseman and designated hitter.
Double-A Erie begins its season Friday.
In the 2023 season, Scott played 100 games for Double-A Portland (37 games) and Triple-A Worcester (63 games) with the Red Sox. He hit .235 with 19 home runs, 59 walks and 85 strikeouts, spanning 403 plate appearances. He had a .798 OPS in 63 games at the Triple-A level last season.
The Red Sox drafted Scott, who turns 27 in late May, with the No. 317 overall pick in the 10th round of the 2019 draft out of Vanderbilt.
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The Tigers recently released catcher Donny Sands, one of three players acquired in the trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tigers picked up Nick Maton and Matt Vierling, along with Sands, in exchange for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens, but after fewer than two seasons, only Vierling remains in the organization.
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