The ink is now dry on the press release announcing the signing of Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco. Here's the details as provided by the team.
(PHOENIX) - The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have agreed to terms with catcher Henry Blanco and outfielder Xavier Nady, according to D-backs' Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Towers. Blanco agreed to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2012 and Nady agreed to a one-year contract for 2011.
Blanco, 39, hit .215 (28-for-130) with 10 runs scored, 5 doubles, 2 home runs and 8 RBI in 50 games for the New York Mets last season. Over parts of 13 seasons in the Majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Mets, he posted a .227 average (559-for-2,463) with 134 doubles, 10 triples, 60 home runs and 265 RBI in 863 games.
Blanco ranks third among all active catchers after having thrown out 40.9 percent (229-for-560) of would-be base stealers in his career. Since 2008, his .997 fielding percentage ranks second among all National League catchers with a minimum of 150 games played. Blanco was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on Nov. 12, 1989.
Nady, 32, hit .256 (81-for-317) with 33 runs scored, 13 doubles, 6 home runs and 33 RBI in 119 games for the Chicago Cubs last season. Over parts of 9 seasons in the Majors with the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Cubs, he has batted .277 (713-for-2,574) with 141 doubles, 6 triples, 93 home runs and 358 RBI in 798 career games. Last season, Nady rebounded to play 119 games after being limited to 7 games with the Yankees in 2009 due to "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow that was performed on July 8, 2009. Defensively, he has played 571 career games in the outfield and compiled a .981 fielding percentage while playing 431 games in right field, 106 in left field and 45 in center field. He has also played 134 games at first base, including 52 last season in place of Derrek Lee, and compiled a .993 fielding percentage.
Nady was selected by the Padres in the second round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. He signed on Sept. 17, 2000 and immediately joined the Padres to become the 20th drafted player to go directly to the Majors since the draft was instituted in 1965. He was originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals as their fourth-round selection in the 1997 First-Year Player Draft but elected to play collegiately at the University of California.