The White Sox upgraded their catching Wednesday by agreeing to terms with free agent Alex Avila on a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
The left-handed hitting Avila, 29, is a career .242 hitter with 66 home runs over seven seasons. Avila was limited to 67 games with Detroit in 2015, missing nearly two months due to a bone bruise in his left knee. He batted .191 with four home runs and 13 RBIs.
Avila has a career .345 on-base percentage and has thrown out 24.5 percent of attempted base stealers.
“Alex gives us a veteran presence behind the plate who provides solid defense and a productive left-handed bat,” Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager, said in a statement.