Chris Snyder Signs With Houston Astros

Former Pirates catcher Chris Snyder has signed a one-year deal with the Astros. Snyder hit fairly well for the Bucs in 2011, but didn't play much due to a back injury. When healthy, he's a decent hitter (with a very low average but with good power for a catcher, and he draws a fair number of walks), and he provides steady defense. The Pirates sensibly declined an expensive option on his services for 2012, however, and if they ever really considered bringing him back, that was never reported.

That's too bad, in a way, because if he'll be healthy, the Pirates still could have used him. Their new catcher, Rod Barajas, is in his late 30s, and probably won't play more than 100 games. Between Michael McKenry and Jose Morales, the Pirates might get reasonable production out of their backup catcher. It's hard to blame the Pirates for not prioritizing Snyder's return, however.

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