MLB Player News

Casali and the Reds avoided arbitration with a one-year, $1,462,500 deal Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Casali hit well enough for a catcher in 84 games last season, posting a .251/.331/.411 line with eight homers. He looks set to split time with Tucker Barnhart again this season.

Narvaez signed a one-year, $2.725 million deal with the Brewers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old was acquired by the Brewers from the Mariners in early December and is now officially under contract with his new team. Narvaez should serve as the team's primary catcher in 2020, though his heavy career splits (.836 OPS vs. RHP and .699 OPS vs. LHP) will likely allow Manny Pina to earn regular starts against southpaws.

Hedges agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Padres on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

This is Hedges' second year as an arbitration-eligible player. He will go through the process two more times before hitting the open market after the 2022 season.

Gosewich signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Thursday as a non-roster invitee.

Gosewich spent last season with Triple-A San Antonio after he failed to secure a spot on the Brewers' major-league roster. He'll get the chance to compete in major-league spring training again in 2020 after slashing .205/.299/.308 with three home runs and nine RBI over 49 games at the Triple-A level last year.

Hernandez signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The catcher will receive an invitation to big-league camp as part of the deal. Hernandez is unlikely to be anything other than organizational depth this season, as he's appeared in just 22 major-league games, none of which have come in the last three seasons. He hit .209/.274/.399 in 47 games for Triple-A Pawtucket in the Red Sox's system in 2019.

Diaz (knee) signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Monday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Diaz became a free agent after he was non-tendered by Pittsburgh. He appeared in 101 contests for the Pirates in 2019, slashing .241/.296/.307 with two homers and 28 RBI before being shut down at the end of September due to a knee injury. The veteran backstop figures to battle for a spot on the 25-man roster with Tony Wolters and Dom Nunez.

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.