The Cardinals added catcher Gerald Laird to back up Gold Glove Winner Yadier Molina. Laird has played the last eight seasons with Texas and Detroit. Laird’s a career .242 hitter and has thrown out 38% of base stealers in his career.

The 31 year old hit just .207 last year with Detroit, but he’s a defensive specialist and a guy who is durable which is something the Cardinals are looking for. They want to be able to give Yadi more days off so he doesn’t wilt toward the end of the season.

According to stlcardinals.com, Laird has caught 76 or more games in each of the last four seasons.