MLB Player News

Nicholas signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old backstop spent all of last season in the Padres organization. He slashed .291/.353/.485 with 16 homers and 83 RBI at Triple-A El Paso but was unable to crack the big-league roster at any point. He has a .756 OPS in 110 MLB plate appearances in his career, though as things stand now, Nicholas figures to largely provide catching depth for the Rockies behind Chris Iannetta, Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy.

Nola agreed to a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Friday, Mariners Minors reports.

Nola appeared in 69 games for Triple-A New Orleans last year, piecing together a .279/.370/.376 slash line with two homers and 32 RBI. He figures to begin the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Tacoma.

Sanchez underwent successful left shoulder surgery Thursday.

The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and went as expected. Seeing as the procedure typically carries a three-month recovery timeline, Sanchez should be fully healed by the time spring training rolls around. The backstop will look to bounce back in 2019 after he struggled to a .186/.291/.406 line across 89 games during an injury-plagued 2018 campaign.

Sanchez will undergo left shoulder surgery this offseason and is expected to be ready by Opening Day, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The issue has apparently been bothering Sanchez since 2017, and it was recently decided that the backstop would benefit from a debridement. The procedure typically carries a three-month timeline, giving Sanchez plenty of time to get back to full speed before the start of the 2019 campaign. A healthy Sanchez will look to bounce back after struggling through an injury-riddled 2018 season that saw him hit just .186/.291/.406 with 18 homers across 89 games.

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen said d'Arnaud (elbow) is on track to be fully healthy for Opening Day, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

D'Arnaud underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2018. While he's expected to be ready for the start of the 2019 campaign, it's unclear if he will be competing for a starting role with the Mets, as New York could choose to non-tender the backstop this winter given his injury history and underwhelming numbers since breaking into the majors in 2013 (.245/.306/.406 with 47 homers across parts of six seasons).

Perez was outrighted from the Rangers' 40-man roster Friday and is expected to elect free agency instead of accepting a minor-league assignment.

Perez spent a majority of the 2018 campaign with Texas after being designated for assignment by Atlanta in late April. In total, he played in 28 games, slashing just .143/.178/.214 with three RBI in 75 plate appearances. The 28-year-old will likely be on the look for a new home this winter.

Grandal was extended a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer by the Dodgers on Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Grandal will have 10 days to make a decision on this offer. The soon-to-be 30-year-old backstop played on a $7.9 million deal this past season and would head to the free-agent market by declining. Outside of Grandal's postseason missteps -- especially on the defensive front -- he provided great value for Los Angeles in 2018, hitting .241/.349/.466 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI in 140 games.

Moore was removed from the Rays' 40-man roster Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Moore and fellow catcher Jesus Sucre were cast off the team's 40-man roster in order to clear space for younger prospects in need of protection from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The veteran backstop appeared in just eight games for Tampa Bay in 2018, hitting .222/.263/.444 with one homer.

Realmuto's agent, Jeff Berry, said that he doesn't expect the backstop to be with the Marlins in 2019, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports. "I think he will definitely be wearing a different uniform by the start of spring training," the agent told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday.

Berry made it clear that Realmuto, who is eligible for arbitration in 2019 and 2020 before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2021, is unwilling to negotiate a long-term deal with the Marlins. Realmuto hit .277/.340/.484 with 21 homers and three stolen bases en route to his first All-Star selection in 2018.

Grandal isn't in the starting lineup for Game 5 of the World Series against Boston on Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Grandal will come off the bench for the second straight game, with Austin Barnes slated to handle the catching duties in a pivotal Game 5. Grandal will be available to pinch hit if necessary.