MLB Player News

Nola signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The 34-year-old was non-tendered by the Padres earlier this offseason after he managed a sickly .452 OPS across 52 games in 2023. The Brewers brought in Eric Haase last month to be William Contreras' backup, so Nola figures to begin 2024 at Triple-A Nashville.

The Cubs claimed Serven off waivers from the Rockies on Friday.

The Rockies dumped Serven from their 40-man roster in order to make room for Jacob Stallings, who signed with the club Friday. Serven managed to slash just .199/.241/.331 across 162 plate appearances with Colorado's Triple-A affiliate, and he'll almost certainly return to the minors to begin his tenure with the Cubs.

Stallings signed a one-year contract with the Rockies on Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins non-tendered Stallings earlier this offseason after he slashed just .210/.287/.290 over 660 plate appearances the last two years. In Colorado, Stallings projects as the likely backup catcher to Elias Diaz.

Wynns cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday.

Wynns is no longer on the Reds' 40-man roster but will be in major-league camp as a non-roster invitee. The veteran catcher is likely to be assigned to Louisville at the outset of the 2024 campaign.

Plawecki signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Thursday, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.

Plawecki spent time with three organizations in 2023, with San Diego being one of them. He didn't see any action at the major-league level last year, producing a .739 OPS with four homers in 67 games at the Triple-A level. The Padres appear set at catcher with Luis Campusano and Kyle Higashioka, pointing toward a ticket to Triple-A El Paso for Plawecki.

Barnhart signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday and received an invitation to major-league spring training.

Barnhart slashed .202/.285/.257 with nine RBI across 123 plate appearances with the Cubs last season before being DFA'd and finishing the year with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate. With Gabriel Moreno virtually locked in as Arizona's everyday catcher, Barnhart will compete with Jose Herrera in the spring for the backup job.

Wynns was designated for assignment by the Reds on Tuesday.

Cincinnati needed to clear a spot on its 40-man roster for the addition of Frankie Montas. Wynns was just signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract last month and the Reds are betting he'll clear waivers, at which point he would presumably head to spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Murphy agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Giants on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Murphy has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons, appearing in only 61 total games during this stretch with Seattle. He'll look for a fresh start in San Francisco, where he's in line to serve as the backup catcher behind Patrick Bailey. The righty-hitting Murphy has a career .292/.361/.508 slash line against lefties and will likely be in the lineup whenever the Giants face a southpaw.

Wynns signed a one-year, $950,000 contract with the Reds on Thursday.

Wynns, 32, batted just .208/.268/.277 with one home run in 51 major-league games last season between the Giants, Dodgers and Rockies. He'll probably rank third on the Reds' organizational depth chart at catcher leading into the 2024 campaign, firmly behind Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile.

Rodriguez underwent surgery to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow Tuesday.

Rodriguez injured himself on a swing while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 13. He's expected to resume baseball activity within 10-12 months, ruling him out for all of next season. With Rodriguez out, Henry Davis will presumably take on a larger share of starts behind the plate, and Jason Delay and Ali Sanchez will be in the running for the backup catcher spot.