ARLINGTON -- The Rangers addressed a minor hole in the roster on Thursday, filling in the catching depth behind All-Star starter Jonah Heim.

Texas announced on Thursday it signed catcher Andrew Knizner to a one-year contract. The deal is for $1.825 million, according to a source. Knizner was non-tendered by the Cardinals this offseason and provides much-needed depth behind the plate for the Rangers.

Knizner hit .241 with a .712 OPS in 70 games with St. Louis in 2023 and can easily catch multiple times per week behind Heim if and when it¡¯s necessary. Last season, he posted career highs in homers (10), RBIs (31), doubles (11), extra-base hits (21) and runs (30).

The Rangers now have three catchers on the 40-man roster, with 25-year-old Sam Huff expected to move down the depth chart following Knizner¡¯s signing. Huff has slashed .262/.314/.462 in 75 big league games between 2020-23, but he has never gotten consistent at-bats in the Majors with multiple veteran catchers ahead of him. That pattern will seemingly continue into '24.

¡°We want to make sure we have ample backup options to protect [Heim] to give him blows when necessary, while also providing a high-quality level of performance to help us win,¡± Rangers general manager Chris Young said at the Winter Meetings last month.