The Marlins selected Hicks with the second pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.

The Rockies passed on selecting anyone with the second pick and the Marlins selected Hicks out of the three hole. Hicks was acquired by Detroit from the Rangers at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Carson Kelly to Texas. Hicks is nearly big-league ready but projects to be a backup catcher long term. He'll be competing with Nick Fortes and prospect Agustin Ramirez for playing time behind the dish.

Manager Derek Shelton said Monday that Rodriguez (elbow) is expected to be fully healthy for the start of spring training, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Rodriguez was sidelined for the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow in December of 2023. He was able to progress in his recovery enough to go on a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona in September, and it appears the 24-year-old right-hander will be able to report for the start of spring training. Rodriguez played in 57 regular-season games for the Pirates in 2023 and finished with a slash line of .220/.284/.328 with three home runs and 13 RBI over 204 plate appearances.

Nola signed a minor-league deal Sunday that includes an invitation to spring training with the Rockies, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Nola was in the Royals' organization in 2024 and spent about a week in the majors without appearing in a game. With Drew Romo and Jacob Stallings in the mix, it's unlikely that Nola will play a significant role for the Rockies in 2025.

Sanchez signed a one-year, $8.5 million contract with the Orioles on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Sanchez spent the 2024 season with the Brewers and was a decent source of power, popping 11 homers and maintaining a .172 ISO across 280 plate appearances. He should be locked into the backup job behind the plate while also potentially picking up a few extra starts at designated hitter.

The Rays agreed to a one-year, $8.5 million contract with Jansen on Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Murray notes that Jansen turned down multi-year offers from other teams, preferring to bet on himself on a one-year pact after a down 2024 campaign which saw him put up a .658 OPS over 92 games between the Blue Jays and Red Sox. Injuries have been a problem for Jansen, whose career high in games (107) and plate appearances (384) was established back in 2019. However, he's been an above-average offensive catcher for most of his career, particularly from 2021-23 when he put up an .805 OPS.

Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Higashioka and Jonah Heim will split time at catcher in 2025, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Texas announced the signing of Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million contract on Monday. The 34-year-old is coming off the best offensive season of his career, having posted a .739 OPS with 17 home runs over 84 games with the Padres. Higashioka's 263 plate appearances in 2024 were a career high, but it sounds like he'll have a good shot to eclipse that total in 2025.

Rangers general manager Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Heim and Kyle Higashioka will receive equal playing time at catcher next season, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

It's not a surprise to hear that Higashioka will play extensively after the Rangers announced a two-year, $13.5 million contract with the veteran catcher. Heim made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove in 2023, but fell off to just a .602 OPS and also saw his defensive metrics dip significantly in 2024.

Higashioka signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract with Texas on Monday, which includes a $7 million mutual option for 2027.

Higashioka will add a veteran presence to the backstop position for Texas and is likely to share the workload with Jonah Heim, who struggled during the 2024 campaign. Higashioka is coming off one of his most productive seasons at the plate, swatting a career-high 17 home runs and recording 45 RBI in 84 games for the Padres.

The Giants signed Stassi (hip) to a minor-league contract Nov. 19.

Stassi became a free agent earlier this month when the White Sox declined his 2025 option, but he's quickly latched on with a new organization. The veteran catcher had left hip surgery in June and it's not clear whether he will be healthy for the start of spring training. Regardless, Stassi is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Sacramento, as the Giants are set at catcher with Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy.

Thaiss signed a one-year deal with the Cubs on Friday to avoid arbitration, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

After the Angels designated Thaiss for assignment Nov. 14, he was traded to the Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations. Unless the Cubs make another move in the offseason, Thaiss is projected to serve as the backup catcher to Miguel Amaya. Thaiss slashed .204/.323/.299 with two home runs and 16 RBI over 186 plate appearances during the 2024 regular season with the Angels.