MLB Player News

The Mariners signed Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million contract extension Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal begins this season and buys out Raleigh's final years of arbitration eligibility as well as his first three years of free agency. Raleigh has become baseball's preeminent power bat at catcher, easily leading the position with 76 home runs over the past three seasons. The 28-year-old also captured his first Gold Glove in 2024.

The Royals reassigned O'Keefe to minor-league camp Tuesday.

O'Keefe was attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee but didn't make much of a push for a spot on the Opening Day roster with Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin both emerging from spring training fully healthy. He'll presumably report to Triple-A Omaha and serve as organizational catching depth for the second season in a row.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on the Talkin' Yanks podcast by Jomboy Media on Tuesday that Wells will be the team's leadoff hitter Opening Day versus Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta.

The revelation comes as no surprise, as Wells has batted at the top of the order consistently over the last few weeks in Grapefruit League play. Wells is likely to hit lower in the order or get days off against lefties, although No. 2 catcher J.C. Escarra and No. 3 catcher Ben Rice also bat left-handed.

The Mariners optioned Hunt to Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday.

The Mariners are set at catcher between Cal Raleigh and Mitch Garver, so Hunt will begin the season with Tacoma even though he went 10-for-20 with two homers this spring. The 26-year-old has not appeared in a game at the big-league level.

The Yankees re-signed Jackson to a minor-league contract Sunday.

Jackson opted out of his minor-league deal with the Yankees after being told he was not going to make the Opening Day roster, but he was quickly re-signed to a new minor-league pact. He will provide catching depth at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The White Sox informed Thaiss on Monday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Thaiss will likely open the season as the No. 2 catcher behind incumbent Korey Lee after posting an .892 OPS across 12 Cactus League games. Thaiss and Lee may not be ticketed for season-long stays on the active roster, however, as catching prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero will open the campaign at Triple-A Charlotte but should be ready to make their MLB debuts at some point later in 2025.

The White Sox informed Narvaez on Monday that he won't be included on the Opening Day roster, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Chicago will begin the season with Korey Lee and Matt Thaiss as its two catchers. Narvaez, who had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee, will likely report to Triple-A Charlotte if the White Sox don't choose to release him. Narvaez is coming off a rough 2024 season in which he slashed just .154/.191/.185 over 69 plate appearances with the Mets before he was cut loose in June.

The Rays reassigned Barrera to minor-league camp Sunday.

Barrera was attending camp as a non-roster invitee, but he never stood much of a chance to win an Opening Day roster spot so long as both Danny Jansen (ribs) and Ben Rortvedt were ready to go for the start of the season. The 30-year-old will likely head to Triple-A Durham and provide depth behind the plate.

Basallo has elbow inflammation and is expected to serve as a designated hitter for the first few weeks of Triple-A Norfolk's season, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

It appears the 20-year-old will be able to hit in spite of the injury, but he won't be working behind the plate at the start of the campaign. Basallo is the organization's top prospect and could push to make his MLB debut in 2025, assuming the elbow issue doesn't prove to be a significant concern.

Kirk signed a five-year, $58 million contract with the Blue Jays on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The deal will buy out Kirk's final year of arbitration in 2026 and then keep him with the team for an additional four years. Kirk has maintained a 109 wRC+ and improved his defense consistently over the course of his big-league career. He is set to be the Blue Jays' primary catcher in 2025.