Rays add depth at catcher with former Miami Hurricanes player Chris Herrmann

ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays signed veteran catcher Chris Herrmann to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. Tampa Bay also signed all four of its remaining arbitration-eligible players before Friday afternoon’s filing deadline.

Herrmann, 32, has played parts of eight seasons in the majors, never getting more than 256 plate appearances in any one year. He signed a free-agent deal with Oakland in 2019 and hit .202 with one homer in 23 starts before being released in September. He is a career .205 hitter.

Herrmann, a left-handed hitter out of the University of Miami, will likely compete with Michael Perez for the No. 2 catching position behind Mike Zunino. If he doesn’t make the team, Herrmann could still provide organizational depth at Triple-A Durham.

One potential factor in Herrmann’s favor is his versatility. He has started more than 50 games in the outfield during his big-league career and has also made a few appearances at first base.

Tampa Bay began clearing the books of unsigned players with a one-year, $2.185 million deal for reliver Chaz Roe on Thursday night. The team announced its remaining arbitration-eligible players — Hunter Renfroe ($3.3 million) Tyler Glasnow ($2.05 million), Oliver Drake (1.025 million) and Daniel Robertson ($1.025 million — had all signed by 1 p.m. on Friday.