The Detroit Tigers could have a backup catcher competition ahead of the 2026 season.

The Tigers re-signed catcher Tomás Nido to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training, according to multiple people with knowledge of the agreement granted anonymity because camp invites aren’t public yet.

Nido will earn $1.5 million if he makes the MLB roster.

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Nido appeared in 10 games for the Tigers during the 2025 season, hitting .343 – all 12 hits were singles – with zero walks and 10 strikeouts across 37 plate appearances. He spent six weeks with the Tigers in April and May while catcher Jake Rogers was on the injured list with a left oblique strain.

When Rogers returned, Nido accepted an outright assignment in late May to stay in Triple-A Toledo, rather than choosing free agency, after clearing waivers.

Nido, a nine-year MLB veteran who is a well-respected teammate and an above-average defender, elected free agency in mid-October after a full season as the Tigers’ third-string catcher.

He then re-signed with the Tigers in late October.

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The top three catchers on the Tigers’ depth chart: Dillon Dingler, Rogers and Nido. Dingler is the established starting catcher, but there could be a spring training competition between Rogers and Nido for the backup role.

Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 11 to spring training.

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In 2025, Nido also played in 48 games for Triple-A Toledo. He hit .209 with five home runs, 11 walks and 46 strikeouts across 189 plate appearances. He joined the Tigers for the AL wild-card series and the ALDS as part of the taxi squad during the postseason, but he wasn’t activated.

Nido, a right-handed hitter, has played for three teams in his nine-year MLB career: New York Mets (2017-24), Chicago Cubs (2024) and Tigers (2025). He has competed in 333 games along the way, posting a .215 batting average with a .560 OPS.

He has been in the Tigers’ organization since September 2024.

Nido was selected by the Mets in the eighth round of the 2012 draft, at No. 260 overall, out of Orangewood Christian High School in Maitland, Florida.

Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers re-sign catcher Tomás Nido to minor league contract