MLB Player News

  • Nick Raposo C | TOR

    Blue Jays' Nick Raposo: Designated for assignment

    The Blue Jays designated Raposo for assignment Friday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

    The Blue Jays claimed Raposo off waivers from St. Louis in early August, and he went on to slash .246/.361/.311 with five RBI over 20 games with Triple-A Buffalo. He'll be stripped of his 40-man roster spot to create room for Yimi Garcia, who officially signed a two-year deal with Toronto on Friday, though Raposo will likely remain with the club as organizational depth behind the plate.

  • Red Sox's Carlos Narvaez: Shipped to Boston

    The Yankees traded Narvaez to the Red Sox on Wednesday in exchange for Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international signing bonus pool money, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

    Narvaez appeared in six games for the Yankees in 2024, during which he went 3-for-13 at the plate with six strikeouts. However, he slashed .254/.370/.412 with 58 RBI and nine stolen bases in Triple-A, and he should have a solid chance to supplant Mickey Gasper as Boston's backup catcher during spring training. Enmanuel Valdez was designated for assignment in order to make room for Narvaez on the 40-man roster.

  • Gary Sanchez C | BAL

    Orioles' Gary Sanchez: Signs with Baltimore

    Sanchez signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Orioles on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

    Sanchez spent the 2024 season with the Brewers and was a decent source of power, popping 11 homers and maintaining a .172 ISO across 280 plate appearances. He should be locked into the backup job behind the plate while also potentially picking up a few extra starts at designated hitter.

  • Rays' Danny Jansen: Nets one-year deal with Tampa Bay

    The Rays agreed to a one-year, $8.5 million contract with Jansen on Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

    Murray notes that Jansen turned down multi-year offers from other teams, preferring to bet on himself on a one-year pact after a down 2024 campaign which saw him put up a .658 OPS over 92 games between the Blue Jays and Red Sox. Injuries have been a problem for Jansen, whose career high in games (107) and plate appearances (384) was established back in 2019. However, he's been an above-average offensive catcher for most of his career, particularly from 2021-23 when he put up an .805 OPS.

  • Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Set to split time at catcher

    Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Higashioka and Jonah Heim will split time at catcher in 2025, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

    Texas announced the signing of Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million contract on Monday. The 34-year-old is coming off the best offensive season of his career, having posted a .739 OPS with 17 home runs over 84 games with the Padres. Higashioka's 263 plate appearances in 2024 were a career high, but it sounds like he'll have a good shot to eclipse that total in 2025.

  • Jonah Heim C | TEX

    Rangers' Jonah Heim: Will share time with Higashioka

    Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Heim and Kyle Higashioka will receive equal playing time at catcher next season, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

    It's not a surprise to hear that Higashioka will play extensively after the Rangers announced a two-year, $13.5 million contract with the veteran catcher. Heim made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in 2023, but fell off to just a .602 OPS and also saw his defensive metrics dip significantly in 2024.

  • Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Lands with Rangers

    Higashioka signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract with Texas on Monday, which includes a $7 million mutual option for 2027.

    Higashioka will add a veteran presence to the backstop position for Texas and is likely to share the workload with Jonah Heim, who struggled during the 2024 campaign. Higashioka is coming off one of his most productive seasons at the plate, swatting a career-high 17 home runs and recording 45 RBI in 84 games for the Padres.

  • Matt Thaiss C | CHC

    Angels' Matt Thaiss: Designated for assignment

    The Angels designated Thaiss for assignment Thursday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

    Thaiss slashed .204/.323/.299 with 16 RBI across 186 plate appearances last year while serving as the primary backup to Logan O'Hoppe -- a role the newly signed Travis d'Arnaud is expected to fill. Thaiss may draw interest from other teams in need of depth at catcher, though no landing spot is likely to result in a starting job for the 29-year-old backstop.

  • Angels' Travis d'Arnaud: Gets two-year deal from Angels

    The Angels signed d'Arnaud to a two-year, $12 million contract Tuesday.

    Atlanta declined d'Arnaud's $8 million club option for 2025 last week, but the veteran catcher quickly found a multi-year pact with a new organization. It's not an ideal landing spot for fantasy since d'Arnaud will be second on the catching depth chart behind Logan O'Hoppe, but he could still play enough to be a viable option in deeper formats. D'Arnaud, who turns 36 in February, slashed .238/.302/.436 with 15 home runs over 99 regular-season games in 2024.

  • Guardians' Austin Hedges: Re-signing with Cleveland

    The Guardians agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with Hedges on Wednesday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

    Hedges will return to Cleveland as Bo Naylor's backup. The 32-year-old slashed only .152/.203/.220 with two homers in 66 contests for the Guardians this season but is lauded for his defense and handling of a pitching staff.

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