Villarroel was traded from the Astros to the Giants in exchange for Kai-Wei Teng on Thursday, Chandler Rome and Andrew Baaggarly of The Athletic report.

The Giants needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster after signing Harrison Bader, which was the motivation for this deal. Villarroel reached High-A in 2025 and batted 276/.306/.362 in 15 games, and it's unclear if he'll hit enough to be a productive big leaguer given his lack of defensive value.

Barnes signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Barnes appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Dodgers in 2025, posting a .519 OPS across 44 plate appearances before being cut loose by the team in May. The 36-year-old backstop will now aim to return to the big leagues with the Mets, though he'll most likely fill in as minor-league depth at Triple-A Syracuse.

Adams cleared waivers Wednesday and was sent outright to Triple-A Rochester.

The 29-year-old catcher was DFA'd by the Nationals last Thursday to create space on the 40-man roster for Gus Varland (undisclosed). Adams had the right to elect free agency after passing through waivers unclaimed, but he will instead accept his assignment to Rochester and is likely to remain there for the majority of 2026.

The Brewers signed McGuire to a minor-league contract Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

McGuire participated in 44 regular-season games for the Cubs in 2025, slashing .226/.245/.444 with nine home runs. The Brewers have an opening at backup catcher behind William Contreras, and there's a good chance McGuire wins that job.

Ballesteros has a clearer path to the Cubs' starting DH job as a result of the trade that sent Owen Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Ballesteros acquitted himself quite well in 66 major-league plate appearances during the 2025 regular season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with two homers. His 13.6 BB rate and 18.2 K rate were particularly encouraging for a player making his debut as a 21-year-old. Ballesteros might get pushed into the strong-side of a platoon with Matt Shaw, who lost his starting third base job when the Cubs signed Alex Bregman.

The Nationals designated Adams for assignment Thursday.

The 29-year-old backstop appeared in a career-high 83 games during the 2025 season but was a liability when holding a bat, as he slashed .186/.252/.308 across 286 plate appearances. With no need for five catchers on their 40-man roster, the Nationals will now move on from Adams in order to make room for Gus Varland (undisclosed), who was claimed off waivers from Arizona on Thursday.

The Nationals signed Barrera to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Barrera was drafted by the Nationals and broke into the big leagues with them. The 31-year-old catcher spent 2025 in the minors in the Rays organization and last saw action in the majors in 2023. Barrera will likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Rochester as catching depth.

Herrera (elbow) was cleared to begin a throwing program earlier in January and is expected to begin hitting and defensive drills this week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera underwent surgery in November to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, an injury that limited him to designated-hitter duty in the final few months of the 2025 season. The 25-year-old is expected to be ready to roll for the start of spring training. Herrera will attempt to return to the catching position in 2026, though Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol indicated that the team's evaluation of Herrera at catcher will likely continue into the regular season. For fantasy purposes, Herrera will enter 2026 as utility-eligible only, but he could regain catcher eligibility early on.

The Phillies re-signed Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The deal can max out at $60 million if Realmuto reaches all of his incentives. The backstop turns 35 in March and has been in a steady decline both offensively and defensively, finishing the 2025 campaign with a .257/.315/.384 batting line and 12 home runs over 134 regular-season contests. However, while Realmuto's best days are behind him, he remains a quality hitter compared to most catchers, still has a great throwing arm and is well-liked in the Phillies' clubhouse.

The Dodgers signed Robinson to a minor-league contract Dec. 18.

Robinson spent most of 2025 at the Triple-A level but did appear in one game with the Dodgers before being removed from their 40-man roster. The 31-year-old will give the organization some experienced catching depth at Triple-A Oklahoma City.