MLB Player News

Grandal (shoulder) was cleared to swing from both sides of the plate Friday, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Grandal continues to work his way back from left shoulder surgery, and clearance to swing certainly represents a step in the right direction. Fortunately, the left shoulder issue really only impacts the backstop in the batter's box, as he throws with his right hand like nearly every other catcher. Barring something unforeseen, the 27-year-old should be on track to serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher once again in 2016 despite an underwhelming second half in 2015.

Mesoraco remains on track to be ready for the first day of camp on Feb. 18, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I've done everything," he said. "I've been hitting for a couple of months. Catching-wise, I've been blocking, throwing, receiving and doing just about everything with no pain."

Mesoraco has reached the final stages of his recovery from season-ending hip surgery, which was undertaken on June 29 to repair a labrum and remove a spur. With hitting and some catching duties already behind him, his next test will likely be manning catcher in exhibitions. When healthy, he'll serve as the Reds' No. 1 backstop, from which he logged 100-plus games in both 2013 and 2014.

Monell resigned with the Mets on a minor league contract on Friday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Monell had a solid year with Triple-A Las Vegas last year, batting .324 with seven home runs and 51 RBI. He also got a taste of the majors, but only managed to hit .167 in 52 plate appearances. With Travis d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki pretty well entrenched as the backstops at the major league level, Monell will likely serve as organizational depth once again. However, if he continues to destroy Triple-A pitching, the Mets may need to reevaluate him a bit.

Grandal agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Dodgers on Friday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Grandal was the centerpiece of a trade that brought sent Matt Kemp to the Padres in 2014. While his first half of the season was promising, he tanked in the second half to finish with just a .234/.353/.403 batting line. Despite the downfall, he should once again serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher in 2016.

Stewart agreed to a two-year deal with the Pirates on Thursday.

Despite his age (33), Stewart remains arbitration-eligible, and now will stay with the club through the 2017 campaign. The veteran backstop has posted two straight solid seasons at the dish, and will look to keep things rolling in 2016 in a limited role behind Francisco Cervelli.

Sanchez was unconditionally released by the Pirates on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Tribune's Rob Biertempfel reports.

He was designated for assignment last week, and will likely seek a minor league deal with an invite to spring training with another club. Sanchez doesn't offer much in terms of offense, so he can be largely ignored in most fantasy formats.

Sanchez was designated for assignment on Wednesday.

Sanchez was the fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, but things just haven't worked out for him at the big league level. Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart were firmly ahead of him on the organizational depth chart, and the Pirates presumably prefer Elias Diaz to Sanchez as well. The career .259/.303/.378 hitter could catch on as a depth piece with another organization, but he will likely spend most of 2016 at Triple-A.

Lino has received an invitation to Phillies spring training.

Lino hasn't improved enough offensively since breaking into the minors in 2011 to earn a big league roster spot, but his strong arm behind the plate keeps him in consideration. It seems highly improbably that the 22-year-old will land in the majors, but perhaps the small taste of it during spring training will provide a jump-start to his season.

Monell was designated for assignment by the Mets on Friday.

He was a distant third on the depth chart behind Travis d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki. The Mets, having re-signed Bartolo Colon to a one-year deal, decided to bump Monell and will now risk losing him to waivers. Monell has done little with his major-league opportunities thus far, but he has hit .279/.356/.455 in parts of four seasons at Triple-A, making him a serviceable depth piece for an organization.

Bethancourt (knee) was traded to the Padres on Thursday in exchange for Casey Kelly and Ricardo Rodriguez, MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old has done little with the bat in 80 games at the major-league level, slashing .219/.245/.283 while walking at a 2.9 percent clip. However, Bethancourt's athleticism and exceptional arm should afford him plenty of opportunities down the line, though there is not a clear path to a 2016 role with Derek Norris, Austin Hedges and Josmil Pinto all in San Diego.