Defense trumps offense as Royals hang on to backup catcher Drew Butera

Ned Yost never hid his affinity for defense over offense when it came to his backup catcher. The Royals made the distinction clear on Thursday when the team designated Erik Kratz for assignment and retained Drew Butera.

Butera, 31, is now officially Salvador Perez’s backup. He will still only play occasionally, but he impressed team officials with his game-calling and receiving.

The Royals acquired Butera in a trade with the Angels in exchange for minor-league infielder Ryan Jackson. Kratz created an opening when he tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in May.

“We thought he might be an upgrade, defensively, back there, a little bit,” Yost said before Friday’s game against the Cardinals. “It was a hard decision, because they both have positive points about their game. But we’re a team built on defense, and we like his defense.”

Kratz spent most the past three weeks on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Omaha. The Royals played out the string for as long as possible, until the 20 days of the assignment ran out. The team could trade Kratz as he traverses the waiver wire.

To reach Andy McCullough, call 816-234-4370 or send email to rmccullough@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @McCulloughStar.

This story was originally published June 12, 2015 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Defense trumps offense as Royals hang on to backup catcher Drew Butera."