MLB Player News

Vazquez (elbow) threw at 100 percent intensity during a simulated game Saturday, Sean McAdam of CSNNE reports. "I feel great, no pain, no nothing. I let it go today 100 percent. I feel like I'm ready to play in games," said Vazquez afterwards.

Saturday marked another step forward in Vazquez's recovery from Tommy John surgery as he made it through the simulated game with no pain in his surgically repaired elbow. He even made two strong throws down to second base to catch baserunners. According to McAdam, the Red Sox will likely decide Sunday when Vazquez will be cleared for game action.

Perez agreed to a five-year, $52.5 million contract extension with the Royals on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports.

The new contract overrides the previous deal Perez signed with the Royals in 2012 -- a very team-friendly pact -- and locks him up through 2021. His offensive performance slipped the last couple seasons, but he played in an average of 143 games over the last three years and figures to remain a workhorse behind the plate in 2016.

Vazquez (elbow) threw to bases at about 90 percent intensity Monday, CSN New England reports. He'll throw to bases again on Wednesday, then catch David Price in a simulated game Saturday.

The Red Sox have been extremely careful with Vazquez this spring, holding him back from going all out, but if all goes well Saturday, Vazquez could see his first spring-training game early next week. It's plausible he could be ready to roll Opening Day, but it's more likely he starts the year at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Vazquez (elbow) is likely to miss at least the first week of exhibition games, the Boston Herald reports.

Red Sox manager John Farrell has been holding back Vazquez early in camp. He's kept the young catcher, who's coming back from Tommy John surgery last spring, from going maximum effort while throwing, and will have him participate in a controlled program throwing to bases Friday. Farrell said he wants to see Vazquez perform in simulated games before they get him into a live game. With Blake Swihart getting sizable head start in training camp, it's looking like Vazquez will open the season at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Perez is part of an open competition for the Angels' starting catcher job this spring, the Orange County Register reports.

Following the trade of Chris Iannetta to Seattle during the offseason, the path was cleared for Perez to emerge as a regular behind the plate for the Angels. Geovany Soto is in the mix to push him for the job, but it's likely that the Angels will use Perez for at least 100 starts behind the plate (health permitting), as Soto is unlikely to catch more than 50-60 games at this stage of his career.

Sanchez signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays on Friday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Sanchez was released by the Pirates last month but will have a chance to catch on with the Blue Jays, as the deal includes an invite to spring training. The 27-year-old, a former first-round pick, appeared in only three major league games last season, spending the bulk of the year at Triple-A Indianapolis. It seems likely that he'll wind up with the Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate (Buffalo) to begin the year, though Toronto is relatively thin at catcher so he could be summoned should there be an injury to Russell Martin, Josh Thole, or A.J. Jiminez.

Acosta signed a minor league contract with the Rays on Thursday and will be invited to major league camp, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Acosta was with the Rays organization last season, but played sparingly and elected to be a free agent after the conclusion of the season. He'll return to the team and act as no more than a third-string catcher while Justin O'Conner is sidelined with a back injury.

Stassi is working with Astros manager A.J. Hinch to improve his framing, receiving and stance behind the plate this spring, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports.

"If he makes our team, I want our pitching staff to be comfortable throwing to him," Hinch said of the 24-year-old. "We're going to put in a little bit of work to make sure that his mechanics behind the plate are where they should be, that his body positioning and his hand position are where they should be. He's hungry to get better." Stassi is the favorite to win the Astros' backup catcher job behind starter Jason Castro, but Alfredo Gonzalez, Roberto Pena and Tyler Heineman loom as other internal options for the role, albeit with considerably less experience.

Vazquez (elbow) has been throwing to bases at Boston's spring-training facility in Fort Myers (Fla.), the Boston Globe reports. "He's probably at about 90 percent," manager John Farrell said. "But it's there. You can see that. He'll only get better."

Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery, Vazquez was known for his arm strength and his ability to control the running game. As such, the Red Sox are closely monitoring his velocity and accuracy. On Friday, Vazquez showed off the accuracy in what was another productive day in his return from the injury. Despite what has been an encouraging rehab, Vazquez is expected to start the season at Triple-A Pawtucket where he can get some game experience before joining the major-league roster.

Rodriguez signed a minor league contract with the Yankees on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training Friday, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal reports.

The 30-year-old backstop split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, but couldn't hit above the Mendoza line at either stop. Because of that, he'll likely head back to the minors after spring training concludes.