What role will re-signed catcher Dom Nuñez serve with the Cleveland Guardians?

The Cleveland Guardians have themselves another catcher on roster.

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, the Guardians announced that they re-signed catcher Dom Nuñez to a minor league contract. He will be a non-roster invitee this spring to further see what he can provide the team with through MLB Spring Training.

Nuñez has spent the past two seasons in minor league ball with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. Prior to playing with the Guardians, he spent the previous 11 years with the Colorado Rockies organization, spending stints all the way from Single-A up to the majors.

He will be turning 31-years-old later this month.

ICYMI: The #Guardians have re-signed Dom Nuñez to a minor-league contract.

The contract includes a non-roster spring training invite.#guardsball pic.twitter.com/DS7Q5SY1vo
— Guardians Nation (@GuardiansNation) January 8, 2026

What will he do with the Guardians?

Nuñez isn't the worlds best hitter. That's no surprise and can easily be understood when looking at both his minor and major league numbers.

In 11 seasons of minor league play that includes over 3,300 plate appearances, he's slashed .228/.334/.385 for an OPS of .719. His major issue is making consistent contact, especially in recent years. The last two seasons with the Columbus Clippers in Triple-A, he slashed .202/.330/.339 and .176/.330/.349 in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

His keen eye is what's made his on-base percentage so lofty, though, as he has nearly 100 walks drawn these past two stints in the minors.

He also did get major league action last season, recording seven plate appearances and knocking two hits.

But what makes him so special is his defensive reputation, not his hitting.

He's consistently posted solid framing and blocking marks at both levels of the game, while also throwing out 29% of would-be base stealers in his minor league career. While the major league side is obviously a smaller sample size than what he's given in the farm system at just 100 games played, he's still just as efficient.

In the minors, he's going to split time with prospect Cooper Ingle, who's been really good on the fielding and hitting end. He put together a slashing line of .260/.389/.419 with more strikeouts than walks, making him the clear-cut No. 1 option in the minors for the organization.

On the off chance he gets an opportunity in the big leagues, if issues arise with Bo Naylor or Austin Hedges, it would be hard for an argument to be made for Nuñez to get the call-up over Ingle. While he does have Ingle in the experience and age department, his ceiling is obviously lower.

That could end up being a good thing for Ingle, though, as if Nuñez serves as a mentor, the two parties could build one another up. However, they will compete against one another to be next in line for a shot in the majors if the opportunity does arise.

The Guardians will kickoff MLB Spring Training against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, Feb. 21, with first pitch slated for 3:05 p.m. EST. The matchup will give the organization a chance to see what prospects are ready to potentially join the Opening Day roster in just a few short months.