Erik Kratz knew his only way onto the Milwaukee Brewers regular season roster this season was going to be through an injury to one of the two catchers in front of him, Yasmani Grandal or Manny Pina.
When all three made it through Spring Training healthy, the Brewers traded Kratz on Sunday morning to the San Francisco Giants for minor-league infielder C.J. Hinojosa.
The Brewers filled Kratz spot in the 40-man roster by signing reliever Alex Wilson, who pitched with Detroit last season.
The 24-year-old Hinojosa split time between the Giants advanced A and Class AA levels.
Kratz was originally acquired by the Brewers last May 25th in a minor-league deal with the Yankees. He served as Pina’s backup to start with, but eventually shared the catching duties down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Kratz played in 67 games (54 starts) for the Brewers, hitting .236 with six home runs and 23 RBI.
The Brewers wrapped up the Cactus League season with a 3-1 win over Arizona on Sunday. They’re in Montreal for the start of a two game exhibition series with the Toronto Raptors at Olympic Stadium starting tonight.
