MLB Player News

Heineman signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training Grant Brisbee of The Athletic reports.

Heineman made his major-league debut for the Marlins in September, but he only appeared in five games. He was very effective at the Triple-A level last year, hitting .336/.400/.590 with 13 home runs and four stolen bases over 73 games. The 28-year-old will be in big-league camp, but he'll likely need some more time in the minors before gaining a regular major-league roster spot.

Bethancourt has signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies that includes an invitation to spring training, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

He played last season in the KBO, hitting .246/.308/.404 with eight home runs in 224 plate appearances. Bethancourt primarily plays catcher, but can also play first base, second base and the outfield in a pinch. He will likely serve as organizational catcher depth.

Maile signed a major-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The financial terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed. Maile has barely hit like a backup catcher thus far in his big-league career, posting a .198/.252/.304 slash line over parts of five seasons, but he could have a chance to compete with Jacob Stallings for a starting role, barring further offseason additions.

Narvaez was traded to the Brewers from the Mariners on Thursday in exchange for right-hander Adam Hill and a competitive balance draft pick, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Brewers appear to have found their new primary catcher after losing Yasmani Grandal to free agency this offseason. Narvaez saw an increased role in his first season with the Mariners last year. He performed well at the plate, hitting .278/.353/.460 with 22 home runs over 132 games. While the 27-year-old showed that he is able to handle a heavy workload and is a quality offensive option at the position, he does not grade out well defensively, so he should see a modest downturn in playing time now that he is on a team with playoff aspirations. The left-handed hitter has stark career splits (99 wRC+ against LHP, 116 wRC+ against RHP), so Manny Pina, who is a superior defender, should start against most southpaws.

Barnes agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Dodgers on Monday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

He will avoid arbitration and won't get non-tendered, despite the fact he hit .203/.293/.340 in 242 plate appearances last year. While his offensive output has been quite poor in every year except 2017, he is a good defensive catcher and can play second base in a pinch. He should serve as Will Smith's backup in 2020.

Gomes agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with the Nationals on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Nationals declined the 32-year-old's $9 million club option for 2020 earlier this month but will bring him back into the fold at a more affordable price. Gomes and Kurt Suzuki are primed for another season splitting catching duties in Washington. Gomes' heavy splits (.653 OPS vs. RHP and .878 OPS vs. LHP) figure to put him on the short side of the catching platoon.

D'Arnaud signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Braves on Sunday.

The 29-year-old had a tumultuous start to 2019 and went 2-for-23 in 10 games before being released by the Mets in May, but he eventually ended up with the Rays and put together a quality season. D'Arnaud should serve as Atlanta's primary catcher in 2020, but Tyler Flowers remains a solid No. 2 option behind the plate and should still see semi-regular starts. D'Arnaud had a .263/.323/.459 slash line with 16 home runs and 67 RBI in 92 games with the Rays last season.

Amaya was added to the 40-man roster by the Cubs on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old signed as a glove-first catcher in 2015 but has performed well enough to warrant protection from the Rule 5 draft. Amaya spent 2019 at High-A Myrtle Beach and had a .235/.351/.402 slash line with 11 home runs and 24 doubles in 99 games.

Stephenson was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Wednesday.

This move was a lock on the final day to protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft. Stephenson is clearly the catcher of the future in Cincinnati, but he will need to head to Triple-A for at least a month or two before making his big-league debut. He hit .285/.372/.410 with a 10.2 percent walk rate, 16.5 percent strikeout rate and six home runs in 89 games at Double-A and made up for lost time with 13 games in the Arizona Fall League. Stephenson has big raw power and is patient at the dish, which will hopefully make up for the fact that he isn't the greatest defensive catcher.

Contreras' contract was selected by the Braves on Tuesday.

Although the 21-year-old was effective in the minors last season, his addition to the 40-man roster is more so to protect him from the Rule 5 draft rather than an indication of his readiness to contribute. In 110 games between the High-A and Double-A levels last season, Contreras hit .255/.315/.354 with six home runs and 39 RBI.