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Milwaukee Brewers: Manny Piña Signs with Atlanta Braves

By Paul Bretl

Sep 18, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Manny Pina (9) rounds the base after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Manny Pina (9) rounds the base after hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports /
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Manny Piña was the longest-tenured Milwaukee Brewers player—the keyword in that statement, however, is was.

Having been with the Brewers since 2015 when he was acquired via trade from the Detroit Tigers, Piña played the 2021 season on a one-year deal worth $1.165 million, which made him a free agent this offseason. And it didn’t take long for Piña to find a new home.

Manny Pina will reportedly be joining the Atlanta Braves after six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, Piña will sign a two-year $8 million contract with Atlanta that will come with a club option for a third year and an additional $4 million if exercised. Piña will be paid $3.5 million in 2022 and $4.5 million in 2023, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

For several years now, Piña has served as the Milwaukee Brewers backup catcher, and been one of the best in baseball at it. During his stint with the Brewers, Piña would appear in 404 games and slash .245/.315/.414 with 42 homes runs and an OPS+ of 91—the league average is 100.

This past season, Piña would struggle at the plate, batting just .189 but posted a .732 OPS — just above his career average with the Brewers — behind 13 home runs in his 180 at-bats. However, the second half of the season was much more productive for Piña after a slow start to the year.

Where Piña had really made an impact and left his mark was behind the plate with his defensive ability. According to Fangraphs, Piña has been well-above-average by DRS and as a pitch framer, he has a strong arm, not to mention that he is experienced and does a terrific job of calling games behind home plate.

Piña was also a fan favorite and a tremendous clubhouse presence during his time in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Brewers still have Omar Narvaez as their primary starter, but with Piña now in Atlanta and Luke Maile choosing free agency, it looks like Mario Feliciano could be the team’s backup catcher in 2022.

Feliciano has appeared in one game at the big league level in 2021, and slashed .246/.314/.560 in 114 plate appearances with Triple-A Nashville this past season.

Also, don’t be surprised if we see David Stearns explore other options in free agency.

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