White Sox sign catcher Geovany Soto to minor league deal

The White Sox are bringing back Geovany Soto, who shared the team’s catching duties with Tyler Flowers in 2015, on a minor league deal, a major league source confirmed.

The Sox unsuccessfully tried patching up the position with a new platoon of Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro last season. Injuries to both gave rookie Omar Narvaez an opportunity to appear in 34 games and Narvaez, who bats left, batted .267 with one homer.

Soto, who turns 34 on Jan. 20, had health issues of his own last season, appearing in only 26 games for the Angels due to knee injuries. Soto tore the meniscus in his right knee in May and returned to the disabled list in August with problems in his left knee. When he played, Soto produced a .269/.321/.487 slash line with four homers.

With the Sox in 2015, Soto batted .219 with nine homers in 78 games. The National League Rookie of the Year with the Cubs in 2008, Soto owns a .246/.331/.435 slash line with 105 homers and 352 RBI over 12 major league seasons with the Cubs, Rangers, Athletics, Sox and Angels.

The Sox claimed left-hander Geovanni Soto off waivers from the Athletics in November.