The Phillies are signing catcher Christian Bethancourt to a minor-league deal, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb.
Bethancourt, 29, has slashed .222/.252/.316 across parts of five seasons with the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres. He has not appeared in an MLB game since 2017, however, when he played eight games for the San Diego Padres.
He signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in 2020 and appeared in 10 spring training games prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, but never appeared with the team during the season.
The Phillies desperately need catching depth.