Catcher Anthony Bemboom brings his always-ready experience to Detroit Tigers

Veteran catcher Anthony Bemboom, now a member of the Detroit Tigers who figures to serve as organizational depth, wasn't supposed to make the Opening Day roster with the Baltimore Orioles in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

In 2022, youngster Adley Rutschman suffered a triceps strain at the beginning of spring training. In 2023, veteran James McCann suffered an oblique strain at the end of spring training. The Orioles went into the regular season with notable catcher injuries in back-to-back years.

Bemboom filled in for them.

"Great experiences in being able to prepare," Bemboom said. "I learned a lot from being able to stay ready for anything at any point. Being in Baltimore for the playoffs, even though I wasn't on the roster, experiencing that was huge."

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Bemboom, who has played 12 seasons in the professional ranks, signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers earlier in the offseason and received a non-roster invitation to big-league spring training in Lakeland, Florida. He will earn $825,000 if he makes the majors.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled for their first workout Feb. 14, but Bemboom plans to arrive in TigerTown on the first of the month. He wants to be prepared for camp.

"Going into a new organization, I think it's important to get down at least a little bit early, get the lay of the land and meet as many new people as possible," Bemboom said. "I want to introduce myself and get familiar before the craziness of camp starts. A big part is getting used to as many new pitchers as possible and talking to them about their strategy and things like that."

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Along with Opening Day rosters, Bemboom joined the Orioles' taxi squad for the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers in last year's postseason. Teams are allowed to carry extra players throughout the playoffs as emergency replacements in case of injuries.

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The Orioles were swept in three games, and in all three of those games, Bemboom was at the ballpark with his catching gear at the ready. He knew he probably wouldn't play, but just in case, he had to prepare like he was going to play.

"I think I learned from those experiences in understanding how to prepare myself to be ready for any moment," Bemboom said. "I think that prepares me for a lot of different situations, but it was a little bit different knowing that I wasn't going to play but still being engaged in the game."

Bemboom knows he needs to be prepared because he has appeared in MLB games in each of the past five seasons, despite only 82 games in his career. He is accustomed to bouncing between Triple-A and MLB, and he has plenty of experience on taxi squads.

It's 82 games over five seasons in the major leagues compared to 641 games over 11 seasons in the minor leagues. Bemboom has seven years of experience at the Triple-A level, hitting .252 with 144 walks and 240 strikeouts in 329 games.

"You have no idea, especially with the catching position," Bemboom said. "There are so many different things that can happen on a daily basis. Most teams only carry two catchers. If one goes down, you have to be ready to go at any point."

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Bemboom, a former 22nd-round draft pick, played 25 games for the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels in 2019, 21 games for the Angels in 2020, eight games for the Angels in 2021, 22 games for the Orioles in 2022 and six games for the Orioles in 2023. (He also finished the 2021 season in Triple-A Oklahoma City with the Los Angeles Dodgers but didn't crack the big-league roster in that organization.)

He has a .161 batting average with five home runs, 17 walks and 63 strikeouts in his 82-game MLB career, though he is an above-average catcher on defense. His pitch framing on defense and plate discipline on offense stands out.

In 2023, Bemboom spent most of the season in Triple-A Norfolk and hit .288 with three homers, 15 walks and 28 strikeouts in 38 games. The Orioles preached good swing decisions to Bemboom, as well as their other players, over the past two years.

"That has amplified that part of my game and has helped me swing at better pitches," Bemboom said. "It really comes down to being disciplined within your plan, so I think the way that the Orioles trained within that has helped me."

For the Tigers, Bemboom could factor into the plans at the beginning of the season if Jake Rogers or Carson Kelly end up on the injured list coming out of spring training. If both catchers are healthy, he is expected to be in Triple-A Toledo with Dillon Dingler and Donny Sands as organizational depth.

Bemboom is the only left-handed hitter among the aforementioned group of catchers. Rogers, Kelly, and Dingler occupy spots on the 40-man roster heading into camp.

"Going into camp, it's preparing to be on the Opening Day roster," Bemboom said, "preparing to be able to work with any and all of the pitchers on the staff and being communicative and being accessible at any time."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Catcher Anthony Bemboom gives Detroit Tigers depth, but ready for call