Last week the Brewers designated Mario Feliciano for assignment. The former top-catching prospect was removed from the 40-man roster in conjunction to the Owen Miller trade. Feliciano now has a new team as he was claimed off of waivers by the Detroit Tigers.
Mario Feliciano, the Brewers’ onetime top catching prospect, was claimed off waivers by the Tigers. Brewers had DFA’d him last week to clear a 40-man roster spot.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) December 21, 2022
A few years ago, Feliciano was viewed as the Brewers catcher of the future. Unfortunately between injury, loss of power against higher level pitching, and defensive concerns, this led to him being buried on the depth chart and the Brewers turning their attention to other players.
William Contreras, who was acquired through trade this offseason, is now viewed as the catcher of the future. Contreras had a breakout season in 2022 and put together a very good offensive season. Victor Caratini and Payton Henry are on the 40-man roster as depth pieces. Jefferson Quero is the top ranked catching prospect in the organization.
What role might former Brewers catcher Mario Feliciano have on the Tigers?
Including Feliciano, the Tigers currently have three catchers on their 40-man roster. The other two players are Eric Haase and Jake Rogers. Haase has played well offensively, but his defense behind the dish has led to the Tigers playing him more at first base and left field. Rogers missed all of 2022 due to injury.
With the Tigers current roster construction, Feliciano should have an opportunity to earn big league playing time. He does have one minor league option remaining, but if he performs well he could carve out a significant role in the big leagues next year.
Follow me on Twitter @tylerkoerth. Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
