MLB Player News

Barnhart signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday and received an invitation to major-league spring training.

Barnhart slashed .202/.285/.257 with nine RBI across 123 plate appearances with the Cubs last season before being DFA'd and finishing the year with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate. With Gabriel Moreno virtually locked in as Arizona's everyday catcher, Barnhart will compete with Jose Herrera in the spring for the backup job.

Wynns was designated for assignment by the Reds on Tuesday.

Cincinnati needed to clear a spot on its 40-man roster for the addition of Frankie Montas. Wynns was just signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract last month and the Reds are betting he'll clear waivers, at which point he would presumably head to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Murphy agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Giants on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Murphy has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons, appearing in only 61 total games during this stretch with Seattle. He'll look for a fresh start in San Francisco, where he's in line to serve as the backup catcher behind Patrick Bailey. The righty-hitting Murphy has a career .292/.361/.508 slash line against lefties and will likely be in the lineup whenever the Giants face a southpaw.

Wynns signed a one-year, $950,000 contract with the Reds on Thursday.

Wynns, 32, batted just .208/.268/.277 with one home run in 51 major-league games last season between the Giants, Dodgers and Rockies. He'll probably rank third on the Reds' organizational depth chart at catcher leading into the 2024 campaign, firmly behind Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile.

Rodriguez underwent surgery to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow Tuesday.

Rodriguez injured himself on a swing while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 13. He's expected to resume baseball activity within 10-12 months, ruling him out for all of next season. With Rodriguez out, Henry Davis will presumably take on a larger share of starts behind the plate, and Jason Delay and Ali Sanchez will be in the running for the backup catcher spot.

Bethancourt was acquired by the Marlins from the Guardians on Sunday for cash considerations, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

The 32-year-old was claimed off waivers by Cleveland in early November, but he's now being offloaded following the signing of Austin Hedges. Nick Fortes had a .562 OPS in 108 games for Miami last season and is the only other catcher currently on the big-league roster, which should give Bethancourt a decent path to playing time in 2024.

Atlanta acquired Stassi (hip/personal) and David Fletcher from the Angels on Friday in exchange for Evan White (hip) and Tyler Thomas, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The reigning NL East champs are already set at catcher with Sean Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud, so Stassi could quickly be flipped to another team -- assuming he's ready to resume his playing career. The 32-year-old did not appear in a game at any level in 2023 after suffering a hip injury late in spring training and then having to deal with a serious family medical issue.

The Yankees traded Higashioka to San Diego on Wednesday alongside Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito in exchange for Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Higashioka slashed .236/.274/.413 with 10 homers and 34 RBI across 260 plate appearances last season -- his best season at the plate since 2020. However, with Luis Campusano virtually locked in as San Diego's main backstop, the 33-year-old Higashioka will have to compete with Brett Sullivan for a backup role.

The Mets claimed Heineman off waivers from the Blue Jays on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Heineman is a career .218/.297/.282 hitter over parts of four big-league seasons. With Francisco Alvarez and Omar Narvaez back in 2024, the 32-year-old Heineman would appear pegged for Triple-A Syracuse to begin next season.

Atlanta re-signed Tromp to a minor-league contract Wednesday.

Tromp was non-tendered by Atlanta last week but will return to the organization. The 28-year-old catcher has put up a .640 OPS with five home runs over 102 plate appearances at the major-league level. He'll likely begin 2024 at Triple-A Gwinnett.