MLB Player News

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco needs to work on his communication with pitchers, according to cincinnati.com.

Mesoraco didn't get a ton of playing time the past few seasons, which led pitchers to prefer throwing to Ryan Hanigan. Now that Mesoraco is stepping in as the starter, he'll need to be on the same page with his pitchers. 

Manager Bryan Price said it's not all on Mesoraco to make things work. "This isn’t a one-way situation," Price said. "The pitchers have to be as committed to building the relationship as the catcher does." 

Price went on to indicate that the team is fully behind Mesoraco as the starting catcher. "It's his time," Price said.

Mesoraco hit .238/.287/.362 in 323 at-bats last year.

Mets hitting coach Dave Hudgens expects catcher Travis d'Arnaud to improve at the plate this season, according to ESPN.

Hudgens said d'Arnaud was probably trying too hard last season. "It looked like he was trying to hit every ball out of the ballpark and overswinging a little bit and probably just trying to do too much," Hudgens said. He added that d'Arnaud has been much more relaxed in camp this year.

While Hudgens wouldn't discuss what he expects from the young catcher, he does seem encouraged by d'Arnaud's skills. Hudgens said he believes more reps is all d'Arnaud needs to turn into a strong player. 

Last season, d'Arnaud hit .202/.286/.263 in 99 at-bats.

No backup catcher for the Giants is destined for much playing time behind Buster Posey, but at least Hector Sanchez will feel good when he does squat behind the plate once a week.

Sanchez not only lost 20 pounds in the offseason, but has deemed his shoulder to be fine. It landed him on the disabled list late in the 2013 season.

Bud Black appears to be coming around to the possibility of Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal returning in time for the regular season. Grandal has accelerated his recovery from a knee injury that all but wiped out 2013 for him.

"Watching him (Wednesday) doing some agility drills on the field, we're really encouraged about how he's moving and what he's doing on the field," Black told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "You talk to the doctors, you talk to the therapists, you talk to the strength guys, they are really - I don't want to say amazed - but they are extremely happy with his progression."

Nick Hundley is considered the starter on the team depth chart, but Grandal would likely usurp that role if he proves himself healthy.

I like what I'm hearing from Mets rookie catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who said he spent the offseason working on simplifying his offensive approach after hitting a disappointing .202 in 31 games last season. He was a pretty good hitter in the minors, so there is little concern he will eventually find his footing in the majors.

Look, d'Arnaud isn't the first and won't be the last highly touted catching prospect to struggle offensively after his promotion to the majors. Most rookie catchers are burdened with defensive responsibilities upon their promotion and don't have the time to dedicate the attention needed to offense. But it sounds like d'Arnaud took care of that in the offseason, so maybe we will see a different hitter in 2014.

As far as his Draft Day value, catcher is a deeper position than you think. You could end up with players like Matt Wieters, Salvador Perez, Evan Gattis and Wilson Ramos in the middle rounds and be happy.

I'm not sure you want to go into your draft with the strategy d'Arnaud is going to be your starter. He definitely has upside, but d'Arnaud is more of a late-round Fantasy sleeper and you are probably better off bringing him off your bench in standard Head-to-Head leagues.

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud told reporters Monday about some of the changes he made to his offensive approach this season after he hit a disappointing .202 following his promotion to the majors last season.

"I worked on just shortening my swing," he said, per the New York Post. "Last year, I feel like every pitch, I was thinking something about my swing compared to focusing on the ball and focusing on seeing the ball and hitting the ball. I just have to slow the game down, and toward the end I started feeling a little more comfortable and a lot of weight came off my shoulders."

While Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud impressed with his defense and ability to call a game upon his arrival to the majors last season, his offense was lacking. The rookie said he wasn't panicked, but transitioning to the majors was a challenge, according to the New York Daily News.

"Anxious would probably be the right word for it," he said. "I was just trying to impress everyone. Every time I went up there, I was trying to hit a home run. I was trying to throw my hardest and hit my hardest to prove myself every time I got a chance. I was trying to prove myself and I just wasn’t myself."

The offseason has been beneficial for d'Arnaud, who spent time in the offseason going back to the basics. The top prospect hit .286 with a .476 slugging percentage and .823 OPS in 515 minor-league games.

"I simplified things, my swing, my approach," d’Arnaud said. "That’s my game, keeping things simple and easy. And I know I’ve got to keep things simple this season. I am feeling really good coming into camp and I am really excited for this season. I am ready to make that next step."

Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal is just six months removed from knee surgery to reconstruct the ACL in his right knee, which is an injury that usually requires 9-12 months of rehab.

Grandal has been optimistic about being ready for opening day, but the team has been more hesitant about projecting such a lofty goal. Well, it seems the Padres are changing their tune, according to U-T San Diego.

"He says he feels good and he certainly looks good," general manager Josh Byrnes said of Grandal. "Opening day is possible for him. But that day simply starts a six or seven-month process. We have to hold him back somewhat during spring training even if he feels 100 percent. We will monitor him during spring training."

The Padres announced Thursday 18 players received non-roster invites to spring training. Among the 18 players invited to spring training are catcher Austin Hedges and starting pitcher Matt Wisler, who are considered the team's top two prospects by Baseball America.

Other top prospects receiving invites were shortstop Jace Peterson (No. 7) and starting pitcher Joe Ross (No. 10). 2011 first-round pick Cory Spangenberg was also on the list.

The remaining players coming to camp as non-roster invites are Blaine Boyer, Leonel Campos, Anthony Carter, Dennis O'Grady, Adys Portillo, Kevin Quackenbush, Cody Decker, Alex Dickerson, Rico Noel, Daniel Robertson, Jonathan Galvez, Alberto Gonzalez and Xavier Nady.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said Wednesday catcher prospect Tucker Barnhart will start the 2014 season at Triple-A, but added he wouldn't be surprised if Barnhart makes his MLB debut this year, according to Redlegs Radio Report.

Barnhart is considered the Reds' 10th-best prospect by Baseball America. He has a career .262 average, .346 on-base percentage, .363 slugging percentage and .709 OPS through five minor-league seasons. His strength is defense, as he owns a career .992 fielding percentage and 42 percent caught-stealing rate.