The Herrmannator: MLB Veteran Backstop Herrmann Joins Monarchs

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City Monarchs have made another big-league splash as their 2023 season nears, this time at catcher.

Chris Herrmann, who spent parts of eight seasons in the major leagues, has signed with the American Association club, the Monarchs announced Wednesday.

Herrmann, 35, has eight years of big-league experience with the Twins, Diamondbacks, Mariners and Athletics. His most recent action in the US came with Triple-A Rochester in the Nationals system in 2022.

Herrmann is the seventh former major leaguer to sign with the Monarchs for 2023. Their season starts May 12 with the club’s home opener set for May 19. The Monarchs have won three straight division titles.

Monarchs manager Joe Calfapietra said he’s excited to add Herrmann, a player with “great pedigree and great character,” to the Monarchs’ roster. Herrmann and fellow catcher Gavin Collins (signed on April 5) will be a formidable combination once the season gets going.

“We feel we have two really great players at that position that are versatile, that can play not only the catching position but other positions also,” Calfapietra said. “We feel we can get them both everyday at-bats and be really strong behind the plate every day.”

Herrmann can play the outfield (88 MLB appearances) and Collins has over 200 games of pro experience at third base.

The Twins drafted Herrmann in the sixth round in 2009 out of the University of Miami. He made his big-league debut three years later, getting into seven games with the Twins in 2012. He’d spend the next three seasons between the big leagues and Triple-A with Minnesota before being traded to the Diamondbacks in November 2015.

The Tomball, Texas native spent part of 2015 and all of 2016 with the Diamondbacks, hitting an MLB career-high 10 home runs in his 2017 campaign. By then, D-Backs fans had nicknamed him The Herrmannator.

Herrmann moved to the Mariners organization in 2018, then suited up for the Athletics in 2019. He spent 2020 in the Rays and Giants organizations, though he didn’t play any big-league games during the COVID-shortened season.

He produced a .759 OPS with Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox system in 2021 before being signed by the Nationals.

Herrmann is the second former MLB position player on the Monarchs’ roster, along with outfielder Jacob Robson. Former big-league pitchers on the roster include Ryan Castellani, Brandon Finnegan, Carlos Sanabria, Jeff Singer and Patrick Weigel.

Fans can check out the team’s full roster at MonarchsBaseball.com/Roster.

About the Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs are a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League. This year, they are celebrating their 20th year of baseball in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2020, the team partnered with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and changed their name from the T-Bones to the Monarchs in honor of the legendary Negro League franchise that played from 1920 to 1965. The Monarchs won ten Negro American League championships and two Negro League World Series championships in their history. The team featured numerous notable players over the years, including Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Buck O’Neil.

About the American Association

The American Association of Professional Baseball played its first season in 2006. It is a professional partner league that is affiliated with Major League Baseball but not specifically with any one team. The league consists of 12 teams located primarily in the Midwest and the South of the United States. Its season runs from May to September and features players who are looking to showcase their talents for a chance to be signed by a major league team.