Catcher to bolt Braves

Boston on verge of signing backup to two-year contract.

PHOENIX — The Braves have lost valuable backup catcher David Ross to the Boston Red Sox, who nearly doubled the free agent’s salary with a two-year, $6.2 million contract.

The deal won’t be announced until after Ross passes a physical exam. Ross and team officials confirmed the pending deal with no further comment.

With starting catcher Brian McCann expected to miss the first 2-4 weeks of the 2013 season recovering from Oct. 16 shoulder surgery, the Braves will look for another veteran catcher to help handle the position un- til the six-time All-Star is ready. The Braves recently picked up McCann’s $12 million option for 2013, but he’ll be eligible for free agency after that.

Ross is widely regarded as the best backup catcher in baseball, and the Braves valued him a great deal both on the field and in the clubhouse, where he was one of the team’s more respected members.

But they have a midmarket payroll and didn’t want to go beyond a oneyear guaranteed contract for a catcher who’ll turn 36 in March. Nor did the Braves want to double his salary.

Ross will make almost as much over the next two seasons with Boston as he made in four seasons with the Braves, who paid him $6.25 million combined in a pair of two-year contracts.

He hit .269 with 24 homers, 94 RBIs and a .353 on-base percentage and .816 OPS in 663 plate appearances (227 games) over four seasons with the Braves, including .256 with nine homers and 23 RBIs in 62 games in 2012. And his defense and game-calling were even better.

Ross’ role increased in the final two months as McCann’s shoulder worsened, and manager Fredi Gonzalez surprised many by starting Ross over McCann in the National League Wild Card Game against St. Louis. Ross hit a two-run homer to give the Braves an early 2-0 lead in that 6-3, seasonending defeat.

Now what for the Braves? They have Christian Bethancourt, one of the top catching prospects in baseball, but he just turned 21 in September and hasn’t played above the Double-A lev- el. The strong-armed Panamanian missed time last season with injuries including a broken fifth metacarpal after being hit in the hand by a pitch late in the season, and the Braves don’t want to rush him before he’s ready.

Bethancourt hit just .243 with eight extra-base hits (two homers) and a .566 OPS in 71 games last season at Double-A Mississippi, after hitting .289 with 24 extra-base hits (five homers) in 99 games with two Class-A affiliates in 2011.

Someone to keep an eye on is Evan Gattis, an intriguing power hitter who began working more in left field last season as the Braves looked for a way to get his big bat to the major league level. That was because McCann and possibly Bethancourt would be blocking his path at catcher, and Gattis’ primary strength is his hitting rather than his catching ability.

Gattis also hasn’t played above the Double-A level, but he was out of baseball for nearly four years and is 26, entering what should be the prime of his career. Because of his age, and the fact he’s continued to impress with his bat at every level — he’s currently thriving in the Venezuelan Winter League — the Braves might inclined to work Gattis at catcher again in spring training if they don’t bring in a catcher who’ll give them much offense until McCann returns.

Given the relative inexperience of Gattis and Bethancourt and the uncertainty of McCann’s health, at least during the first part of the season, the Braves will look to bring in another veteran catcher via trade or free agency.