MLB Player News

Moreno (visa issues) arrived in Dunedin, Fla. on Wednesday and is expected to join the Blue Jays' big-league camp Thursday, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Securing a visa allowing Moreno to travel to the United States took longer than expected, but the 22-year-old catching prospect looks like he'll get the chance to work out with some of the Blue Jays' regulars for a few days before likely heading to minor-league camp. At this stage, Moreno's bat remains well ahead of his glove, which could prompt the Blue Jays to entertain a position change down the line. At least to begin the 2022 campaign, Moreno appears set to see most of his playing time behind the plate at Triple-A Buffalo. If he shows growth as a defender and continues to produce offensively like he did at Double-A New Hampshire in 2021 (1.092 OPS over 145 plate appearances), Moreno could be a candidate for a mid-season call-up, especially if the Blue Jays are struggling to get production out of the likes of Danny Jansen, Alejandro Kirk and Reese McGuire.

Murphy signed a one-year, $1.575 million contract with the Mariners on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Murphy is in his second year of arbitration eligibility after splitting time behind the plate with Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens last season. Murphy hit .202/.304/.350 with 11 home runs in 34 RBI in 97 games, and the Mariners are entering 2022 with the same group of catchers.

Moreno has yet to arrive at camp due to visa issues, but he's expected to show up by the end of the week, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

The 22-year-old catcher is an exciting prospect, but he probably wasn't going to compete for an Opening Day roster spot even without the visa delay. He's only appeared in three Triple-A games, so he'll need to conquer that level before pushing for his major-league debut.

Gallagher signed a one-year, $885,000 contract with the Royals on Tuesday, avoiding arbitration, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Gallagher will get a modest raise in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He didn't have to do much as Salvador Perez's backup last season, hitting .250/.298/.330 with one homer in 48 games, and he's unlikely to fill a significant role this year, either.

Mejia and the Rays agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $1.455 million contract to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Now that he's on the books for 2022, Mejia should be locked in to the smaller portion of a timeshare at catcher with Mike Zunino. Last season, the role gave Mejia a modicum of value in AL-only formats and in deeper mixed leagues that started two catchers. He logged 277 plate appearances -- a high total for a nominal No. 2 catcher -- and finished with a palatable .260 average to go with six home runs, 35 RBI and 31 runs.

Stassi signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Angels on Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The agreement allows the two sides to avoid arbitration. He's coming off a solid season which saw him hit .241/.326/.426 with 13 homers in 87 games, though his 31.7 percent strikeout rate creates some risk heading into the upcoming season.

Higashioka and the Yankees agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $935,000 contract to avoid arbitration, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Higashioka is projected to fill the short side of a catching platoon in 2022 with the lefty-hitting Ben Rortvedt, whom the Yankees acquired earlier this month in the deal that sent fellow backstop Gary Sanchez to Minnesota. Rortvedt is currently tending to a Grade 1 oblique strain that could keep him on the shelf to begin the season, so Higashioka may enjoy a brief run of steady starts in April. Higashioka logged 211 plate appearances over 67 games in 2021, hitting a mere .181 but providing solid power numbers (10 home runs, 29 RBI).

Garver and the Rangers agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.335 million deal Tuesday, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

The agreement means Garver won't have to go through the arbitration process with his new team. He'll receive a raise of roughly $1.5 million in his second season of arbitration eligibility after a season in which he hit .256/.358/.517 with 13 homers in just 68 games.

Hedges agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Guardians on Tuesday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Hedges will get a decent payday in his final year of arbitration eligibility. He must be getting paid purely for his defense, as he's hit a miserable .174/.236/.307 over the last three seasons.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday that Rortvedt (oblique) could begin the season on the injured list, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Based on Cashman's comments, Rortvedt's injury was actually something that the catcher was dealing with prior to being acquired from the Twins on March 13, but the oblique issue didn't present enough concerns for the Yankees to nix the deal. Once healthy, Rortvedt could be a candidate to fill the large side of a platoon at catcher, but if he's sidelined to begin the season, Kyle Higashioka could be looking at something close to a full-time role behind the dish. Non-roster invitees Rob Brantly and David Freitas are the only other players in the organization with prior MLB catching experience.