Brewers trade catcher Kratz to Giants for minor-league infielder Hinojosa

Erik Kratz‘s reign in Milwaukee has come to an end.

The Brewers traded the 38-year-old catcher to San Francisco in exchange for minor-league infielder C.J. Hinojosa, the team announced Sunday.

Acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees on May 25th, Kratz appeared in 67 games and notched a .236/.280/.355 slash line with six homers and 23 RBI for the Brewers last season. He made his biggest impact in the NLDS, batting .625 (5 for 8) with two RBI to help Milwaukee sweep Colorado in three games.

Kratz signed a one-year deal with the Brewers after the 2018 season. But when Milwaukee brought in former Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal in free agency, Kratz was the odd-man out behind Grandal and Manny Pina on the depth chart.

I appreciate the love and support I got from MKE. You are loyal fans and you welcomed me in with open arms and me and family will never forget that. Thank you for giving me all you had because I gave it all for you and my teammates.

— Erik Kratz (@ErikKratz31) March 24, 2019

Hinojosa, an 11th-round pick by the Giants in 2015, owns a career batting average of .273 over four minor-league seasons. He played 67 games with Double-A Richmond last season and hit .261/.327/.360 with three homers and 26 RBI. The 24-year-old has played shortstop, second base and third base in the minor leagues.