Chris Iannetta to Mariners: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday they have signed veteran catcher Chris Iannetta to a one-year deal.

Contract terms weren’t disclosed, though Greg Johns of MLB.com indicated it's a major league deal:

General manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement the Mariners believe Iannetta’s decade of experience will give the clubhouse a veteran presence toward a hopeful playoff run: "This move improves our depth at a critical position. Chris provides us with a solid veteran presence behind the plate, as well as an experienced major league hitter with strong on-base skills who will lengthen our lineup."

The 32-year-old spent the last four years with the Los Angeles Angels and is coming off a season in which he played just 92 games and batted .188, the second-lowest mark of his career, with 10 home runs and 34 RBI.

Those figures were actually, for the most part, better than the Mariners’ starting catcher last year, Mike Zunino, the team’s third overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

Dipoto and Iannetta have a history that dates back to their tenures with the Los Angeles Angels; Dipoto traded for Iannetta when the catcher was playing for the Colorado Rockies.

For Iannetta, this one-year stop in Seattle is probably his last shot to prove his worth in the bigs. The Mariners are coming off a disappointing 76-86 season after missing the playoffs by one game in 2014 and have high expectations for their entire roster in 2016.

The Mariners will be chasing October under first-year manager Scott Servais, one of Dipoto's products with the Angels.

Servais, Iannetta and the rest of the team will have to overcome the challenges of a formidable American League West, home to the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, who both reached the postseason last year and will assuredly compete again next season.