The Indians used Monday¡¯s non-tender deadline as an opportunity to make a backup-backstop switch.

The Tribe traded with Boston for Sandy Leon and came to terms with him on what The Athletic reported to be a one-year, $2 million contract for 2020 to avoid arbitration. That trade and signing made Kevin Plawecki -- the Indians¡¯ 2019 backup catcher who was also arbitration-eligible -- expendable. Plawecki, who made $1.137 million in 2019, was not tendered a contract ahead of Monday¡¯s 8 p.m. ET deadline and is now a free agent.

Cleveland also came to terms with utility man Andrew Velazquez on a one-year deal for 2020 and tendered contracts to its other arbitration-eligible players -- Francisco Lindor, Nick Wittgren, Mike Clevinger and Tyler Naquin. Right-hander James Hoyt was originally designated for assignment in the Le¨®n trade, which sent Minor League right-hander Adenys Bautista to the Red Sox.

On Thursday, the Tribe re-signed Hoyt to a 2020 Major League deal to bring its roster total back to 40 players. He pitched 8 1/3 innings in the big leagues for the Indians in 2019, allowing a pair of runs on six hits.

In acquiring Le¨®n prior to Monday¡¯s deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, the Indians had the chance to negotiate with both Le¨®n and Plawecki and, essentially, leverage them against each other. Ultimately, they locked in Le¨®n, who has performance bonuses in his contract related to games played.

With Christian Vázquez having emerged as the top catcher on the Red Sox depth chart and Le¨®n, who made $2.475 million last season, entering arbitration for the fourth and final time this winter, Le¨®n was himself a non-tender candidate in Boston.

Le¨®n, 30, is a switch-hitter coming off three rough offensive seasons. From 2017-19, he logged 239 games, 780 plate appearances and a .199/.259/.312 slash with 17 homers and 29 doubles. It was a much different story in 2016, when he slashed .310/.369/.476 in 283 plate appearances across 78 games.

On the defensive side, however, Le¨®n¡¯s 32.2 career caught-stealing percentage (58-for-122) is fifth-highest among active catchers. Going back to 2015, Boston pitchers have posted a 3.74 ERA with Le¨®n behind the plate, the fifth-lowest ERA among backstops with at least 300 games caught.

The 21-year-old Bautista pitched at the rookie level in 2019, compiling a 7.79 ERA in 14 relief appearances in the Dominican Summer League and the Arizona Rookie League. He was signed out of the Dominican as a teenager.