MLB Player News

The Nationals designated Pineda for assignment Saturday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Pineda will lose his spot on the 40-man roster to make room for Joey Gallo, whose signing became official Saturday. Pineda played in four games for the Nationals in 2022, but the 23-year-old backstop didn't make it past Double-A Harrisburg in 2023, where he slashed just .152/.215/.212 across 107 plate appearances. He will likely return to Double-A to begin 2024.

Okey signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Jan. 3.

Okey slashed .281/.345/.414 with 26 RBI across 235 plate appearances last season with the Angels' Triple-A affiliate. Now with the Dodgers, the 29-year-old backstop will provide organizational depth and will only potentially see the majors if Will Smith or Austin Barnes are forced to miss time.

Bethancourt agreed to a one-year, $2.05 million contract with the Marlins on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins acquired Bethancourt from the Guardians in exchange for cash in December and they will pay for his services again to avoid an arbiter. The 32-year-old backstop had a .225/.254/.381 slash line with 11 home runs in 104 games for the Rays last year. He will split time with Nick Fortes in Miami this season.

Smith signed a one-year, $8.6 million deal with the Dodgers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith was in the second year of arbitration eligibility and will earn $3.3 million more than he did in 2023. He posted a career-low .797 OPS across 554 plate appearances last season, though he was still an above-average producer at catcher with 19 homers and 76 RBI.

Higashioka signed a one-year contract with the Padres on Thursday, avoiding arbitration.

Higashioka joined the Padres as part of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees in December. Higashioka slashed .236/.274/.413 with 34 RBI across 242 plate appearances last season, and he seems destined for a backup role behind Luis Campusano with the Padres.

Stephenson agreed to a one-year, $2.525 million deal with the Reds on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson avoided concussions in 2023 en route to a career-high 517 plate appearances -- the first time he's topped 402 plate appearances in a season. He slashed .243/.317/.378 with 13 home runs in 142 games, but given the Reds' improved depth, he will likely see significantly fewer starts at designated hitter (43 games in 2023) in 2024.

The Cubs designated Serven for assignment Thursday.

Serven will lose his spot on the Cubs' 40-man roster following the acquisition of Michael Busch and Yency Almonte from the Dodgers on Thursday. Serven managed just a .572 OPS through 162 plate appearances in Triple-A last season, making it possible he goes unclaimed off waivers.

Herrera will compete with Tucker Barnhart for the backup catcher job during spring training, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Arizona signed Barnhart last week and extended an invitation to big league camp. The prospect of Herrera opening a third consecutive season as the top backup seemed likely, but there now appears to be a competition on tap. Neither player has done much with a bat in hand, so it may come down to which one offers better defense and game-calling. The 32-year-old Barnhart has the edge in experience.

Nola signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The 34-year-old was non-tendered by the Padres earlier this offseason after he managed a sickly .452 OPS across 52 games in 2023. The Brewers brought in Eric Haase last month to be William Contreras' backup, so Nola figures to begin 2024 at Triple-A Nashville.

The Cubs claimed Serven off waivers from the Rockies on Friday.

The Rockies dumped Serven from their 40-man roster in order to make room for Jacob Stallings, who signed with the club Friday. Serven managed to slash just .199/.241/.331 across 162 plate appearances with Colorado's Triple-A affiliate, and he'll almost certainly return to the minors to begin his tenure with the Cubs.