MLB Player News

Barnhart will split catching duties with Devin Mesoraco, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Manager Bryan Price says he expects Mesoraco to play no more than "50 to 60 percent on the front end of the season," which could spell good news for Barnhart. The young catcher failed to capitalize on his opportunities last season, slashing .257/.323/379 in 115 games behind the plate. Nonetheless, with Mesoraco easing back into catching activities, Barnhart should have further chances to impress in a part-time role.

Mesoraco will split primary catching duties with Tucker Barnhart, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The move is likely precautionary, as manager Bryan Price plans on not rushing Mesoraco into a heavy workload. "I don't think I would anticipate him playing more than 50-60 percent on the front end of the season," Price said. The 28-year-old catcher has played a total of 39 games over the last two seasons while dealing with a slew of injuries. Unless circumstances change, don't presume Mesoraco as an everyday player right away.

Realmuto is expected to see some action at first base in 2017, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.

He'll still be the Marlins' primary catcher, but if the team elects to carry an extra arm in their bullpen, they'll likely forego having a regular platoon partner for Justin Bour at first base and instead have Realmuto spell him on occasion against tough lefties. The 25-year-old backstop is athletic enough to pick up the new defensive assignment and is coming off a career season in which he posted a .771 OPS, so it makes sense for the Marlins to find ways to keep his bat in the lineup. Realmuto played in 137 games and received 509 at-bats in 2016, though, so don't expect a big increase in his playing time, even with the added responsibility.

Hedges is projected to be the starting catcher for the Padres this season, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

With the club shipping Derek Norris to Washington, Hedges is next in line to start games behind the dish. He hasn't done much offensively in his two brief stints in the majors, slashing .161/.206/.236 in 178 plate appearances. That being said, batting .326/.353/.597 with 21 homers and 82 RBI with Triple-A El Paso last season shows that there is some potential in his bat at the major league level. Even is Hedges doesn't hit out of the gates, his defensive abilities should keep him in the lineup on a regular basis.

Bethancourt is targeting early March for his Cactus League pitching debut, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The Padres have been working with the catcher on his pitching mechanics, and recently clocked his fastball at 97 mph during a Panama Winter League game. Although the Padres have been unclear about his role going forward, his powerful arm could see him in the bullpen more often than expected. Last year with the Padres, the 25-year-old pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in two games and slashed .228/.265/.368 in 204 plate appearances.

The Reds don't anticipate bringing in another veteran catcher, instead relying on Barnhart and Devin Mesoraco's return from injury.

That likely rules out free agent Matt Wieters. Mesoraco's status is still up in the air - he's on track with his rehab but hasn't been rigorously tested yet. So that means that Barnhart could still have a pretty heavy workload in 2017.

Barnes is the favorite to win the backup catcher job out of spring training.

Barnes didn't do much in his limited playing time last season, slashing a meager .156/.270/.188 in 37 plate appearances. That was a small sample size, and there is hope for his bat after he slashed .295/.380/.443 with Triple-A Oklahoma City last season. With Carlos Ruiz gone, Barnes will handle primary backup duties for Yasmani Grandal.

Plawecki will compete with Rene Rivera for the backup catcher spot on the Mets' 25-man roster this spring.

The team will give Travis d'Arnaud at least one more chance to prove he can stay healthy and effective, so Plawecki could find himself back at Triple-A Las Vegas for the fourth straight season. The 25-year-old has put up some good batting averages in the desert, including a .300/.348/.484 line in 190 at-bats in 2016, but has yet to translate that production to the majors.

D'Arnaud has spent the offseason completely retooling his swing, as well as working on his throwing mechanics behind the plate, the New York Post reports.

The 27-year-old catcher is coming off the worst offensive season of his career, and while d'Arnaud's inability to stay healthy certainly played a big role in his .630 OPS, the length of his swing was also an issue. Eliminating his habit of wrapping the bat around his head while in his stance, and taking a more direct path to the ball, could help him recapture the promise he showed in 2015 when he hit 12 home runs with an .825 OPS in 67 games. The Mets still have Kevin Plawecki and Rene Rivera on hand to provide competition, but d'Arnaud will get at least one more chance to establish himself as the team's catcher of both the present and the future.

Mesoraco is expected to begin spring training without any limitations, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports.

This is great news for Mesoraco and Cincinnati fans, as the catcher has played a combined 39 games over the past two years. In his last full season, which was 2014, the 28-year-old posted his best numbers to date, slashing .273/.359/.534 with 25 homers in 440 plate appearances while earning his only All-Star nomination.