MLB Player News

Garcia signed a minor league contract with the Brewers on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

He spent the entire 2016 season with Milwaukee and will return to serve as organizational catching depth. Look for him to start the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Lino signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

At 23, Lino has never played in the majors, and appeared to take a step back in his development last year, as he played 40 games at High-A after reaching Triple-A in 2015. Part of that was so he could accommodate better catching prospects in the Phillies' system, but it shows just how unimpressive his 2016 was on the whole. Look for him to serve as organizational depth for the Cardinals.

Stewart (knee) feels as though he's returned to full health since undergoing knee surgery in September, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Stewart battled knee issues last season, but appears to be ready to return once the 2017 campaign rolls around. The 34-year-old played in just 34 games during 2016 and posted a bleak .214/.319/.286 line in that time.

Gosewisch and the Braves agreed to a one-year deal on Wednesday and avoided arbitration.

He was claimed off waivers by the Braves last week, so they were obviously committed to coming to terms with him for the 2017 season. Look for him to jockey with Anthony Recker in spring training for the backup catching duties behind Tyler Flowers.

Jackson was traded to the Braves on Monday, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reports.

Jackson hit .243 and recorded 11 home runs to go along with 55 RBI through 92 games with the Mariners single-A minor league affiliate in 2016. The Mariners get Rob Whalen and Max Povse in return. The 20-year-old Jackson was considered one of the Mariners higher prospects at the time of the trade.

Caratini was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster on Friday.

Caratini registered a solid season with Double-A Tennessee in 2016, posting a .291/.375/.405 line with six homers. He probably isn't seeing regular playing time in the majors anytime soon with Willson Contreras ahead of him, but he's looked decent enough that the Cubs chose to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Nola was added to Miami's 40-man roster Friday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Nola was a serviceable infielder at the Triple-A level last season, batting .261 with 23 doubles and a low strikeout rate, although he doesn't have much luster to his prospect shine. His defensive versatility and proximity to the big leagues could help him creep onto the major league roster at some point in 2017, but the 26-year-old's ceiling isn't overly high.

Gosewisch was claimed off waivers by the Braves on Friday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

The 33-year-old split time between the majors and minors last season, and although he saw little success with the Diamondbacks, he mashed with their Triple-A affiliate, amassing a .952 OPS in 58 games. Tyler Flowers still seems to be the top backstop in Atlanta, but Gosewisch's power and historically good contact rate could help him garner a backup role over Anthony Recker.

Mesoraco (hip, shoulder) will begin catching drills in mid-to-late January.

The Reds fully expect Mesoraco to spend the season behind the plate, rather than moving him to a corner outfield spot. However, it wouldn't be a surprise if he carried less of a workload than was expected prior to his injuries, given both his injury history and the development of Tucker Barnhart. This is all offseason speculation of course - let's see how he does with actual catching activity before locking in any estimate of playing time.

Sanchez was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Sanchez split the 2016 season between two organizations, those being the Blue Jays and the Giants. He played with each clubs' respective Triple-A affiliate, but failed to make much of an impact. Over 61 games, he hit just .201/.351/.399 and posted a 22 percent K-rate.