MLB Player News

Casali had hip surgery over the offseason, but he's expected to be ready for Opening Day, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Casali was an ideal backup for the Reds last season, hitting .293/.355/450 in 156 plate appearances. But barring an injury to starter Tucker Barnhart, he's unlikely to get more playing time this year, and of course there's plenty of danger in relying on his small sample size from last year as a candidate to repeat.

Sanchez (shoulder) will get back to playing in games during the second week of the spring training schedule, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The backstop underwent shoulder surgery in November, and though he's already through the biggest part of his rehab, the Yankees are still planning to ease him back into game action. It doesn't seem like there's any reason for concern in terms of Sanchez's health. Barring any extraneous circumstances, he expects to be ready by Opening Day with the hope of bouncing back following a disappointing season in which he slashed just .186/.291/.406 with 18 home runs and 53 RBI.

Realmuto was traded from the Marlins to the Phillies on Thursday in exchange for catcher Jorge Alfaro, pitchers Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart, and international slot money, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Realmuto is one of the top catchers in the entire league, and after an offseason filled with trade rumors, he finally found a new home for at least the next two seasons. The 27-year-old is coming off his first 20-homer campaign while batting at least .275 for the third consecutive season. Now that he'll get to hit in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Ballpark, there's a good chance he could repeat if not exceed those figures as he aims to garner his second All-Star selection.

Mesoraco signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.

The oft-injured catcher split time between the Reds and Mets last season, compiling a .221/.303/.398 slash line with 11 homers and 33 RBI. With Wilson Ramos in town, Mesoraco will have to battle with Travis d'Arnaud and Tomas Nido for backup catcher duties to start the season, further limiting his fantasy upside.

Collins will begin the 2019 season at Triple-A Charlotte, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Collins has followed a traditional path through the organization and will be one step below MLB. The White Sox are still working with him defensively, but as a team in rebuild mode, they can expose him to the majors without much concern. At the plate, Collins bashed 17 home runs each of the last two seasons and has elite on-base skills.

Perez (hamstring) said Friday that he's "completely" ready to go for spring training, Juan C. Toribio of MLB.com reports.

After being acquired from the Diamondbacks on July 31, Perez had a brief, but productive run as the Rays' top catcher before his season came to an end in late August when he strained his left hamstring. He was cleared to return to action for a couple of winter-ball games in Puerto Rico and experienced no setbacks in those contests, giving him full confidence in his health heading into the spring. Perez will likely work as the Rays' No. 2 backstop in 2019 after the team traded for Mike Zunino earlier in the offseason.

Thaiss earned an invitation to the Angels' major-league camp Friday.

Thaiss played 85 games for Triple-A Salt Lake last season, posting a mediocre .277/.328/.457 line in 85 games. That's not great for a first baseman, and he's unlikely to make the big-league roster out of camp, but he'll be just an injury or two away from making his debut once the season gets underway.

Knizner was extended an invitation to the Cardinals' major-league spring training, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports.

This isn't much of a surprise after Knizner tore it up at Triple-A Memphis with a .315/.383/.407 slash line. The 23-year-old is now the clear heir apparent to veteran Yadier Molina after Carson Kelly was traded to Arizona in December as part of the package to acquire Paul Goldschmidt. There's no guarantee Knizner will see much time in the majors this season given Molina's track record, even if he breaks camp as the No. 2 catcher, but Knizner could see some opportunities should any injuries crop up for the veteran.

Stewart signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Thursday which includes an invitation to spring training.

Stewart split time between Atlanta and Arizona in 2018, appearing in just eight big-league games between both stops. With Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejia both ahead of Stewart on the organizational depth chart, the veteran backstop doesn't figure to spend much (if any) time in the majors in 2019.

Raleigh received an invitation to major-league spring training Thursday, TJ Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Raleigh, the 90th overall pick in the 2018 draft, played well in his first taste of professional baseball, compiling a .901 OPS in 166 plate appearances for short-season Everett. He'll now be rewarded with a chance to play in front of the major-league brass, though he'll likely spend much of the season with Low-A West Virginia or High-A Modesto in order to get more seasoning against professional pitching.