MLB Player News

The Rays selected Piper's contract from Double-A Montgomery on Monday. He'll start at catcher and bat eighth in the series opener against the Rockies.

The Rays traded Hunter Feduccia to the Dodgers on Monday, and while they also brought in Liam Hicks from the Marlins, Hicks won't be able to join the team in time for Monday's game. As a result, Piper was brought aboard to give the Rays another option beyond Nick Fortes at catcher, though Piper could be sent back to the minors as soon as Hicks joins the team. Piper, 28, has slashed .253/.358/.498 with 11 home runs and 11 steals in 64 games at Double-A this season.

The White Sox optioned Quero to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

After acquiring catcher Joey Bart on Monday, the White Sox have optioned Quero to Charlotte. In 193 plate appearances this season, Quero has slashed .194/.257/.235 with two home runs and 16 RBI. The White Sox will operate with Bart and Drew Romo behind the plate for now, with Kyle Teel (ankle) on the injured list for an extended period.

The White Sox acquired Bart from Atlanta on Monday in exchange for right-hander Duncan Davitt, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Bart's time in Atlanta had an expiration date with Sean Murphy (finger) due back from the injured list this week, and the 29-year-old ended up landing in what appears to be a favorable spot for his playing-time outlook. With Kyle Teel (ankle) likely to be out until at least early September, Bart could immediately emerge as the No. 1 catcher in Chicago, as the White Sox have received little in the way of production from either Drew Romo (.504 OPS in 151 plate appearances) or Edgar Quero (.492 OPS in 193 plate appearances) this season. Bart, meanwhile, has supplied a .226/.303/.377 slash line in 119 plate appearances between stops with Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

The Red Sox acquired Rogers, catcher Adley Rutschman (wrist) and cash from the Orioles on Monday in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez, right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Rogers will be on the move for the second time in less than a week, after he played in just three games for the Orioles after being acquired from the Tigers last Thursday. While with Boston, he'll likely form a timeshare with Connor Wong at catcher in the short term, but Rogers could be in danger of being designated for assignment once Rutschman is ready to come off the injured list. Between his stops with Detroit and Baltimore, Rogers has posted an abysmal .163/.270/.296 batting line over 116 plate appearances, but he's valued mainly for his game-calling ability and defensive savvy more so than anything he does with the bat.

The Orioles acquired Narvaez, right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later from the Red Sox on Monday in exchange for catchers Adley Rutschman (wrist), Jake Rogers and cash, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Though he had faded into a timeshare behind the plate in Boston with Connor Wong, Narvaez should settle in as the new No. 1 backstop for the Orioles, at least until Samuel Basallo (shoulder) makes his return from the injured list. Narvaez delivered a serviceable .725 OPS with 15 home runs over 118 games in his first full big-league campaign in 2025, but he's seen both his power and contact rate tail off dramatically in 2026. The 27-year-old slashed just .187/.260/.275 with a .088 ISO and 33.5 percent strikeout rate over 197 plate appearances with Boston this season.

The Red Sox acquired Rutschman (wrist), Jake Rogers and cash from the Orioles on Monday in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez, right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

After surging to a 23-3 record over the past 26 games to put itself back in the thick of the playoff race, Boston will shore up one of the few remaining weaknesses on its roster by bringing in a bona fide No. 1 catcher in Rutschman. The 28-year-old backstop has been on the shelf since July 20 due to left wrist inflammation, but he resumed hitting over the weekend and is expected to head out on a rehab assignment during the upcoming week. If all goes well, Rutschman could be ready to make his Boston debut at some point during the team's nine-game, three-city road trip that begins Friday. Before going down with the injury, Rutschman was in the midst of a resurgent 2026 campaign with the Orioles, slashing .251/.331/.433 with eight home runs and a career-low 14.1 percent strikeout rate over 284 plate appearances.

The Red Sox and Orioles "have a deal arranged" for Rutschman (wrist), Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Olney adds that the potential trade still needs Boston's final approval before it goes through. Rutschman is currently on the 10-day injured list due to left wrist inflammation, so the Red Sox must pore over the catcher's medicals before signing off on a trade. The switch-hitting catcher resumed hitting this past weekend and could be ready to start a rehab assignment during the upcoming week. Rutschman has had a nice bounce-back season, slashing .251/.331/.433 with eight home runs while playing his usual stellar defense. He's under team control through the end of the 2027 season.

The Angels acquired Cozart from the Guardians on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Jo Adell, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

With Patrick Bailey, Austin Hedges and David Fry on hand as catching options at the big-league level and prospect Cooper Ingle lingering at Triple-A Columbus, the Guardians have dealt from their catching excess to address other needs on the roster ahead of the trade deadline. After moving Bo Naylor to the Brewers over the weekend, the Guardians will now send Cozart to the Angels, where he should have a higher standing on the organizational catching depth chart. Cozart, 23, is regarded as a glove-first prospect with a plus throwing arm. He lacks any standout tools as a hitter but had been a near-league-average producer at Double-A Akron this season with a .239/.330/.384 slash line (96 wRC+) to go with 10 home runs and one stolen base in 79 games.

Bailey went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

Bailey opened the scoring by taking Merrill Kelly deep for a solo shot in the third inning. Four of the catcher's six home runs this season have come over his last 15 games, though he's collected just 11 hits during that stretch. Through 76 games, Bailey is slashing .193/.247/.311 with six home runs, five doubles, one triple, 22 RBI, 21 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Raleigh went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Twins.

Raleigh crushed an elevated slider for a three-run homer to give the Mariners a 6-0 lead in the seventh inning. He has recorded at least one RBI in four straight games but has still struggled to find a rhythm at the plate, having not logged a multi-hit effort since June 7. Overall, the catcher is hitting .162/.266/.311 with 12 homers, 43 RBI, 26 runs and two stolen bases across 80 games.