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The Minnesota Twins agreed to a minor league contract with free agent catcher Eric Fryer over the weekend, as Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports. The deal gives the organization some added depth behind the plate as longtime starter Joe Mauer slowly transitions to a new role.
Fryer, 27, has bounced around in the minors with a few teams, but he's also appeared in 16 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates over the past two years. Initially drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Ohio State in 2007, he spent a few months in the New York Yankees system in 2009 before being dealt to the Pirates during the middle of that season.
Primarily a catcher, Fryer has also played in the outfield and at first base during his professional career. Generally a pretty good hitter in the low minors, he's hit just .204/.291/.275 in 319 Triple-A plate appearances. In his short big league career, he's gone 8-for-30 with four walks, eight strikeouts and one stolen base.