The Royals announced this evening that theyve catcher has requested and been granted his release by the organization. Leon had signed with the club on a back in January. Leon, 35, made his big league debut with the Nationals back in 2012 and has made appearances in every major league season since thanks to his strong reputation as a glove-first catcher. Those frequent opportunities have come in spite of a career .208/.276/.311 slash line at the plate and a below-average wRC+ in eleven of his twelve seasons as a major league player. Its thanks to his stellar work behind the plate that he continues to receive reps in the majors. Leon has received high marks for work behind the plate Lamar Stevens Jersey from outlets such as FanGraphs, Statcast, and Baseball Prospectus throughout his career, with the former in pitch framing during his stint with the Red Sox from 2015 to 2019. The Royals seeming brought Leon in as insurance behind the clubs current catching tandem of and , allowing them to more comfortably move youngster to the outfield on a full-time basis. Since then, however, Kansas City signed to a that will allow him to serve as the clubs third catcher headed into the 2024 season. That left Leon as a mostly superfluous addition for the club, and the veteran hit just .118/.167/.118 this spring while striking out in seven of his 18 plate appearances with the club. Between that performance and the fact that Leon is largely blocked at that big league level in Kansas City, its not nece sarily a shock that the sides are parting ways. With Opening Day on the horizon, Leon will return to free agency in search of a major league deal or, more likely, a more attractive minor league pact that offers him a clearer path back to the majors. Given the constant need for catching depth around the game, he should have little trouble securing such an arrangement, which would also allow him to serve as a mentor for younger catchers the club has in its minor league system. As for the Royals, the club will likely lean on the likes of and in the event that injuries force the club to rely on a fourth catcher behind Perez, Fermin, and Nola. Taurean Prince Jersey