MLB Player News

Trevino and the Yankees avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal Friday.

The Yankees acquired Trevino in a trade with Texas prior to last season and were rewarded with an All-Star campaign. Much of Trevino's value comes from his defense, however, which limits his fantasy appeal. His .248/.283/.388 slash line last season wasn't particularly exciting, and his 11 homers merely tied him for 17th among all catchers.

Higashioka and the Yankees avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a one-year deal.

Higashioka homered 10 times in 248 plate appearances last season, but his .227/.264/.389 slash line was good for just an 83 wRC+. He'll enter the 2023 season as Jose Trevino's backup behind the plate.

Bethancourt signed a one-year, $1.35 million contract with the Rays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The 31-year-old had a surprisingly solid year in 2022, as he recorded a career-high .692 OPS over 333 plate appearances between the A's and Rays. Bethancourt will likely split time with Francisco Mejia in 2023, though he should see a larger share of the action behind the dish.

Mejia signed a one-year, $2.155 million contract with the Rays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Mejia took a step back at the plate in 2022 with just a .645 OPS, and at this point it's difficult to see him turning into an everyday catcher. He will share time behind the dish with Christian Bethancourt in 2023.

Murphy (shoulder) and the Mariners agreed on a one-year, $1.625 million contract Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The catcher had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery in late June, but he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023 campaign. Murphy batted .303 with a solo homer and nine runs scored over 33 at-bats in 14 games with Seattle last season and figures to back up Cal Raleigh.

McGuire agreed to a one-year, $1.225 million contract with the Red Sox in January of 2023 to avoid arbitration, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

McGuire played in a career-high 89 games between the White Sox and Red Sox last season and had a .269/.307/.369 slash line. The 27-year-old hit especially well in 36 contests for Boston with an .877 OPS, and he currently projects to split catching duties with Connor Wong in 2023.

Jansen signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Jansen was superb at the dish when healthy in 2022, producing an .855 OPS with 15 home runs over 72 games. His playing time in 2023 could be affected by the Brandon Belt signing if it means more catching for Alejandro Kirk, but the reality is Jansen hasn't reached 250 plate appearances either of the last two seasons, anyway. He's still capable of being a viable second fantasy catcher even with a truncated workload.

Leon (knee) signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Leon, who underwent meniscus surgery on his right knee in October, is probably in line to begin the season at Triple-A Round Rock unless the Rangers are willing to carry three catchers. The 33-year-old saw action in 33 games for the Guardians and Twins in 2022, producing a .509 OPS.

Sands, Nick Maton and Matt Vierling were traded from the Phillies to the Tigers on Saturday in exchange for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Sands made his big-league debut at age 26 last season but didn't stick around long enough to make an impression, going 0-for-3 with a walk. He hit a strong .308/.413/.428 in 57 Triple-A games, suggesting he has some potential at the plate, especially considering the low offensive bar at catcher. He'll compete with Jake Rogers and Andrew Knapp in spring training to earn the backup catcher job behind Eric Haase.

Gallagher signed a minor-league contract with the Guardians on Wednesday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Gallagher will head to Cleveland after being released by the Orioles in early November, joining the Guardians on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to big-league spring training in February. The catcher spent the 2022 campaign as a member of the Royals, producing a .214/.267/.333 slash line with five doubles, five RBI and a run scored over 42 at-bats in 18 games. With newly-acquired Mike Zunino (shoulder) recovering from thoracic outlet surgery he underwent in July, Gallagher could find himself on the Opening Day roster if Zunino were to suffer a setback, though the latter is expected to ready to go for spring training.