Update (Jan. 31, 4:02 PM ET): It’s a two-year, $8.25 million deal, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
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Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are nearing an agreement with catcher Alex Avila.
Avila, 31, had a productive 2017 season between the Tigers and Cubs. He hit a combined .264/.387/.447 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI in 376 plate appearances.
The D-Backs lost Chris Iannetta to free agency, so Avila fills that void. He’ll get the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate with Jeff Mathis backing him up.
