MLB Player News

Narvaez will open the season as the backup to primary catcher Welington Castillo, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Narvaez was expected to compete with Kevan Smith for the role in spring training, but the job battle effectively ended last week when Smith sprained his ankle to take himself out of the running. The two backstops were stuck in a timeshare for much of the past season that resulted in Narvaez netting only 295 plate appearances. Narvaez will see his playing time dip further in 2018 if Castillo avoids the lower-body issues that nagged him throughout his time in Baltimore last season.

The Mariners reassigned Gosewisch to their minor-league camp Sunday, TJ Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

With Gosewisch likely ticketed for Triple-A Tacoma to begin the season, Mike Marjama is slated to open the season as the Mariners' backup catcher behind primary option Mike Zunino. Gosewisch made 11 appearances for the big club in 2017, recording just two hits in 28 at-bats.

The Rays reassigned Casali to their minor-league camp Sunday.

Casali joined the Rays just days earlier on a minor-league deal after being released by the Rangers. Though he won't open the season in the big leagues, Casali will likely be first in line for a promotion to the Rays if one of the team's top two catchers, Wilson Ramos and Jesus Sucre, succumbs to an injury at any point.

The Rays reassigned Moore to their minor-league camp Sunday.

Moore's dismissal means that Jesus Sucre has secured his spot as the No. 2 catcher behind Wilson Ramos. Look for the 33-year-old Moore to open the season at Triple-A Durham.

Ohlman was traded to Boston on Saturday for cash considerations.

Ohlman had signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers in January after spending 2017 in the Blue Jays organization. He made his big-league debut for Toronto last season, appearing in seven games. The 27-year-old will provide organizational depth for the Red Sox and is unlikely to play more than the occasional game in the majors.

Vazquez agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Red Sox on Saturday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

This deal will lock Vazquez up through the 2021 season with a club option for the following year. His salary will increase each season, starting at $2.85 million in 2019, then reaching $4.2 million in 2020 and $6.25 million in 2021. Vazquez is set to make $7 million in 2022 if the team picks up the option, which also includes a $250,000 buyout. Last year, the catcher hit .290/.330/.404 with five home runs and 32 RBI in 99 games.

Stassi, who was informed Friday he made the team, will be the primary backup to starter Brian McCann, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Stassi would catch more games than Evan Gattis, who will be the third catcher and the primary designated hitter. McCann is entering his age-34 season and last year played in his fewest games since he was a rookie, suggesting that Stassi's role has potential to lead to significant plate appearances.

Hernandez was suspended 50 games for a second positive test for a drug of abuse, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Hernandez is currently on the Triple-A roster after signing a minor-league deal with the Red Sox in January. The 24-year-old will be able to return to action in late May, but is unlikely to make an impact in the big leagues at any point in the 2018 season.

Stassi was told that he made the Astros' roster, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

He will be the team's third catcher, but with backup Evan Gattis spending a lot of time as a designated hitter, Stassi will have plenty of opportunities to play. As a righty, he could start often against southpaws over the left-handed Brian McCann. Stassi has received brief call-ups in each of the last five seasons, compiling a .253/.318/.405 line in 89 plate appearances. He hit .266/.383/.473 with 12 homers in 73 games for Triple-A Fresno last season. His presence in a loaded Houston lineup could pad his counting stats, but he's unlikely to play often enough or well enough to be much of a factor in most fantasy leagues.

Casali agreed to a minor-league deal with the Rays on Wednesday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

Casali is expected to join the team's camp Thursday. The catcher was recently released by the Rangers, the third different organization to release the 29-year-old this offseason, including Tampa Bay in November. Casali appeared in just nine big-league games for the team in 2017, and will be utilized in a similar capacity this season with Wilson Ramos and Jesus Sucre on the big-league roster.