Phillies sign Nieves to be backup catcher
Forms backstop tandem with Ruiz; Manship invited to big league camp
PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies announced Thursday afternoon they have signed catcher Wil Nieves to a one-year contract. He is expected to back up Carlos Ruiz.
Nieves, 36, hit a combined .299 with three home runs, 30 RBIs and a .704 OPS in 295 plate appearances over the past two seasons with the Rockies and D-backs. He has hit .242 with a .597 OPS in his 10-year career.
The Phils had an agreement with Nieves in place before they finalized the deal that shipped catcher Erik Kratz and left-hander Rob Rasmussen to the Blue Jays for right-hander Brad Lincoln.
The Phillies also announced they have signed right-hander Jeff Manship to a Minor League contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. He appeared in 11 games (four starts) last season with the Rockies, going 0-5 with a 7.04 ERA. Manship is 3-7 with a 6.42 ERA in 52 appearances (10 starts) during his big league career.