Former Cleveland Guardians backstop DFA'd by division rival

A member of the 2022 Cleveland Guardians team that won the AL Central in the first season with their new moniker has been designated for assignment by a division rival. Luke Maile, a 34-year-old veteran catcher has been DFA'd by the Kansas City Royals after a very brief stint with the team.

Maile appeared in all of three games for Kansas City and would go 3-8 at the plate, including hitting a solo home run. Unfortunately, the Royals have two other catchers on their roster in Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin, making Maile the odd man out in Kansas City. Maile was deemed to be expendable once Perez returned to action after a brief absence due to some hip tightness, resulting in his DFA on Monday.

Maile does not have a ton of in-game action for someone who is a 10-year veteran, appearing in 436 games during that span, with his 76 games played for the Guardians during the 2022 season being the most in his career. The increase in playing time did not result in more production at the plate, however, as Maile slashed .221/.301/.326 with 10 doubles and three home runs for Cleveland that season.

Offense has never been Maile's strong suit, as he owns a career .209/.276/.322 slash line with 58 doubles, 22 home runs, and 114 runs driven in. Maile's career average of six doubles and two home runs per season is a pretty typical stat line for a backup catcher who is mostly used out of necessity.

Even though his offensive skillset is far from desirable, it would not be surprising to see another ballclub claim him on waivers. Catchers experience plenty of wear and tear over the course of a season, and that can result in a player landing with a team for a short stint until all of their regular options become available again, just like how things played out in Kansas City.

In addition to the Guardians and Royals, Maile has also played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cincinnati Reds during his 10-year career, with his three years in Toronto being the longest he has stayed with one organization.