MLB Player News

Heineman signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Heineman will be brought in to compete for the big-league catching job, a position that has become increasingly thin for Pittsburgh since the end of the 2022 campaign. Endy Rodriguez will also get a shot to win the job as one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. Heineman spent 62 games in the major leagues a season ago, slashing .217/.276/.268 with nine RBI, one stolen base and 16 runs scored during stops in Pittsburgh and Toronto.

Vazquez agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with the Twins on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Vazquez will immediately slot in as Minnesota's starting catcher following an impressive 2021 season across stops in Boston and Houston, though he was much better with the Red Sox. The 32-year-old backstop slashed .274/.315/.399 with nine homers, 52 RBI, one stolen bag and 41 runs scored over 119 contests.

The Brewers acquired Contreras on Monday in a three-team deal with Atlanta and Oakland, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The exact details of the trade are still unclear, but Atlanta acquired Sean Murphy and Oakland landed Manny Pina. With Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud in Atlanta, Contreras wasn't going to have much of a role besides as a designated hitter. Instead, he heads to Milwaukee and figures to be an everyday staple in the Brewers' lineup. Last season was a breakout year for Contreras, who slashed .278/.354/.506 with 20 home runs in 97 games. His defense lags well behind his offense, but the Brewers have a track record of improving catcher defense, and there isn't anyone on the roster who would steal playing time if Contreras is hitting as expected.

Atlanta acquired Murphy from the Athletics on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Oakland's return for the catcher isn't yet clear. Murphy slashed .250/.332/.426 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI last season and, with exceptional abilities behind the plate, brings massive value entering his age-28 season. Unless Atlanta, which sent William Contreras to Milwaukee in the trade, also gets rid of Travis d'Arnaud, Murphy and d'Arnaud figure to share time behind the plate in 2023, with the latter seeing more action at designated hitter.

Contreras' signing of a five-year, $87.5 million contract with a $17.5 million club option for 2028 was formally announced by the Cardinals on Friday.

The deal was first reported Wednesday. Contreras has big shoes to fill in replacing future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina, whose 19-year reign as the Cards' catcher has come to an end due to retirement. Contreras will undoubtedly be a downgrade defensively, especially in the framing department, but it's difficult to overstate how much more offense Contreras is likely to bring. His OPS over the last four seasons sits at .816, a number Molina reached only twice in his career and not since 2013. There will be a ballpark downgrade for Contreras, but Busch Stadium is more favorable for right-handed batters than it is lefties.

Contreras and the Cardinals agreed Wednesday on a five-year, $87.5 million contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

In bringing aboard Contreras, St. Louis has found a replacement for longtime catcher Yadier Molina, who retired following the 2022 campaign after 19 seasons with the Cardinals. With Molina's production having waned in recent years, the 30-year-old Contreras will provide a major upgrade at the position, particularly on the offensive end. Over the past two seasons, Contreras' 121 wRC+ ranks third among all catchers who have logged at least 500 plate appearances over that stretch. While joining a strong Cardinals lineup that includes Nolan Arenado and reigning National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt in the heart of the order, Contreras should have a good chance at improving upon the run and RBI totals he logged with sub-.500 Cubs teams both of the last two years.

Jackson was sent outright to Triple-A Nashville on Friday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Jackson will still be invited to spring training by Milwaukee, but he will now have to fight to reclaim his spot on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old backstop spent most of last season in Triple-A, recording a .701 OPS through 119 plate appearances.

Maile signed a one-year deal with the Reds on Monday.

Maile slashed .221/.301/.326 through 206 plate appearances last season for Cleveland, and found a decent amount of success against left-handed pitching (.300 AVG, 8 RBI). Tyler Stephenson will likely remain Cincinnati's primary option behind the plate, but Maile could still see a good chunk of playing time in 2023 as a backup.

Wallach signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Wednesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Wallach was cast off the Angels' 40-man roster in early November and became a free agent after refusing an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake. However, he'll return to the organization and is a strong candidate to serve as a non-roster invitee this spring. He hit .143 with a home run, four RBI and three runs over 12 games with the Angels last year.

The Pirates declined to tender Heineman a contract for 2023, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Thrust into a regular role with Pittsburgh after joining the team on a waiver claim, Heineman slumped to a .211/.277/.254 line in 52 games with the Pirates. He missed time due to a groin injury and a concussion. His experience could keep him around the game for a while yet as catching depth is always in demand.