MLB Player News

Basallo (elbow) did some throwing Friday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Working his way back from a right elbow stress fracture, Basallo will be limited to designated hitter duty this spring and won't be cleared to catch until April. The 19-year-old top prospect will likely begin the season at Double-A Bowie.

Nola was released by the Brewers and signed a major-league deal with the Royals on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Nola was in camp with the Brewers on a minor-league deal, but he became expendable after the team added Gary Sanchez. He was released as a result but quickly found a new deal with the Royals, where he's likely to compete for the backup catcher role with Freddy Fermin (finger). Across 154 plate appearances with the Padres in 2023, Nola posted a .146/.260/.192 line.

Sanchez suffered a hand injury during a workout several weeks ago, which was the reason for the hold up with his contract, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It was originally believed that Sanchez's right wrist -- which he fractured in September -- was what delayed the finalization of his deal with the Brewers. The 31-year-old backstop has already been cleared for baseball activities, so his hand (and wrist) shouldn't prevent him from seeing playing time during spring training, but it may be something to monitor going forward.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Thursday that Sanchez (wrist) has been cleared for baseball activities but will need time to ramp up before playing in games, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

Sanchez's signing with the Brewers was delayed about two weeks due to concerns about his right wrist -- which he fractured in September -- that cropped up during his physical. He ultimately had the guaranteed money in his contract reduced from $7 million to $3 million once the deal was finalized. However, the injury isn't severe enough to prevent Sanchez from working out, and it shouldn't be too long before he's cleared for Cactus League action. The 31-year-old is projected to back up William Contreras at catcher and could also see a significant number of starts at designated hitter.

Smith told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic this week that he and his representation have not had any contract extension talks with the Dodgers.

Smith is set to earn $8.55 million in 2024 and will be arbitration eligible once more in 2025 before reaching free agency. It's not clear whether the team intends to eventually engage with Smith regarding a long-term deal, but at the moment it doesn't seem to be a priority. The Dodgers have Dalton Rushing, Diego Cartaya and Thayron Liranzo in the minors, but Cartaya is coming off a disappointing season and Rushing and Liranzo might not be ready to take over after 2025.

Sanchez finalized a one-year contract with the Brewers on Wednesday, with the deal guaranteeing him $3 million rather than the initial $7 million that the two sides had agreed upon two weeks earlier, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal will feature incentives that will allow Sanchez to get back to the $7 million figure, provided he stays healthy after the Brewers had some concerns about his right wrist following a physical. The deal also contains a mutual option for 2025, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sanchez batted .218/.292/.500 with 19 homers over just 260 plate appearances last season with the Padres. He's slated to see ample time at designated hitter while also backing up William Contreras at catcher.

Bart appears unlikely to break camp with the Giants and is out of minor-league options, making him a candidate to be traded or otherwise moved off the 40-man roster prior to Opening Day, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chosen with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, Bart was seen as the heir apparent to Buster Posey at the time he was selected, but the now-27-year-old backstop has struggled to meet expectations since reaching the big leagues for the first time in 2020. Due to groin injuries and his own struggles at the dish, Bart appeared in just 30 games for the Giants in 2023, mustering a .207/.263/.264 slash line across 95 plate appearances. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Patrick Bailey surpassed Bart on the organizational depth chart, and the Giants bolstered their catching ranks with the signing of veteran Tom Murphy, who is expected to serve as the No. 2 option and should play regularly versus left-handed pitching. Unless the team elects to keep three catchers on the Opening Day roster or unless Bailey or Murphy succumb to an injury in spring training, the Giants don't look like they'll have room for Bart, whose pedigree should be reason enough for another catching-needy team to acquire him via trade or a waiver claim.

Contreras participated in a live batting practice session Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Contreras was shut down at the end of 2023 with tendinitis in his left wrist. There was no need for offseason surgery, so it's safe to assume the catcher is healthy this spring. Contreras is projected to top the Cardinals' depth chart at catcher in 2024, with Ivan Herrera his likely backup following Andrew Knizner's move to the Rangers in the offseason. Contreras should see a fairly heavy workload as long as he can avoid a recurrence of the tendinitis.

Bailey gained weight this offseason to help prepare for the 2024 season, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bailey wore down at the end of the season, and it showed in his performance as a hitter. The catcher enters his second major-league season a bit heavier, presumably so that he can spend more of the campaign at his preferred playing weight. He slashed .233/.285/.359 with seven home runs, 48 RBI, 29 runs scored and a stolen base over 97 contests. Bailey's strong defense has him in line for the No. 1 job behind the dish.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Heim won't make his first Cactus League start until Feb. 28 versus the Dodgers, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Heim hasn't dealt with any health issues upon reporting to spring training, but the Rangers are being careful not to overextend the catcher during camp after he served as the team's primary backstop in its run to the franchise's first World Series title this past fall. The 28-year-old should be able to get enough at-bats in during the spring to prepare himself for the start of the season, though Texas could still look to lighten his workload behind the dish to some degree early on in the campaign. Manager Bruce Bochy suggested Wednesday that the Rangers may look to carry three catchers on the Opening Day roster, with Andrew Knizner, Sam Huff and non-roster invitee Andrew Knapp in contention for backup roles behind Heim.