Jhonny Pereda #82 poses during Chicago Cubs Photo Day on February 18, 2020, in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The Miami Marlins announced on April 15 that they selected the contract of Venezuelan catcher Jhonny Pereda. They also stated that they had placed Panamanian catcher Christian Bethancourt on the 10-day injured list, as he is battling a viral illness.
Pereda, 27, was born in San Juan, Venezuela, and has played 11 seasons in the minors with the Chicago Cubs from 2013-20, the Boston Red Sox in 2021, the San Francisco Giants in 2022, and the Cincinnati Reds in 2023.
Pereda started the 2024 season in Triple-A Jacksonville and played in eight games. He batted .346 with 32 plate appearances, smacking nine hits, two doubles, five walks, and six strikeouts before he was called to Miami.
Pereda caught in seven games with Jacksonville in 63 innings, with 76 chances, 70 putouts, five assists, one error, a .987 fielding percentage, and had 11 stolen bases against him with only throwing out four runners, including a 27 caught stealing percentage.
On January 17, he signed a minor league contract with the Marlins and was invited to big league camp.
Pereda played seven games during spring training and did not record a hit with eight plate appearances, one RBI, one walk, and one strikeout.
Last winter league season with Leones del Caracas in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional, Pereda played in 31 games and batted .296 with 106 plate appearances, ripping 24 hits, one double, one home run, eight RBI, 24 walks, and 15 strikeouts.
In Venezuela, Pereda played in 21 games with 19 starts in 159 innings. He had 117 chances, 111 putouts, six assists, no errors, one double play turned, 12 stolen bases against him, and threw out three runners.
During the 2023 regular season, he played in 68 games with Triple-A Louisville and roped 75 hits, 15 doubles, six home runs, 36 RBI, 32 walks, 51 strikeouts, and an 8.73 OPS before he elected free agency on November 6, 2023.
In his 11 seasons in the minors, Pereda has a lifetime average of .258. He played in 691 games with 2,678 plate appearances, smacked 603 hits, 107 doubles, five triples, 25 home runs, 265 RBI, ten stolen bases, 304 walks, 387 strikeouts, and a .686 OPS.