MLB Player News

Heineman signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Heineman will be brought in to compete for the big-league catching job, a position that has become increasingly thin for Pittsburgh since the end of the 2022 campaign. Endy Rodriguez will also get a shot to win the job as one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. Heineman spent 62 games in the major leagues a season ago, slashing .217/.276/.268 with nine RBI, one stolen base and 16 runs scored during stops in Pittsburgh and Toronto.

The Brewers acquired Contreras on Monday in a three-team deal with Atlanta and Oakland, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The exact details of the trade are still unclear, but Atlanta acquired Sean Murphy and Oakland landed Manny Pina. With Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud in Atlanta, Contreras wasn't going to have much of a role besides as a designated hitter. Instead, he heads to Milwaukee and figures to be an everyday staple in the Brewers' lineup. Last season was a breakout year for Contreras, who slashed .278/.354/.506 with 20 home runs in 97 games. His defense lags well behind his offense, but the Brewers have a track record of improving catcher defense, and there isn't anyone on the roster who would steal playing time if Contreras is hitting as expected.

Atlanta acquired Murphy from the Athletics on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Oakland's return for the catcher isn't yet clear. Murphy slashed .250/.332/.426 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI last season and, with exceptional abilities behind the plate, brings massive value entering his age-28 season. Unless Atlanta, which sent William Contreras to Milwaukee in the trade, also gets rid of Travis d'Arnaud, Murphy and d'Arnaud figure to share time behind the plate in 2023, with the latter seeing more action at designated hitter.

Contreras' signing of a five-year, $87.5 million contract with a $17.5 million club option for 2028 was formally announced by the Cardinals on Friday.

The deal was first reported Wednesday. Contreras has big shoes to fill in replacing future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina, whose 19-year reign as the Cards' catcher has come to an end due to retirement. Contreras will undoubtedly be a downgrade defensively, especially in the framing department, but it's difficult to overstate how much more offense Contreras is likely to bring. His OPS over the last four seasons sits at .816, a number Molina reached only twice in his career and not since 2013. There will be a ballpark downgrade for Contreras, but Busch Stadium is more favorable for right-handed batters than it is lefties.

Contreras and the Cardinals agreed Wednesday on a five-year, $87.5 million contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

In bringing aboard Contreras, St. Louis has found a replacement for longtime catcher Yadier Molina, who retired following the 2022 campaign after 19 seasons with the Cardinals. With Molina's production having waned in recent years, the 30-year-old Contreras will provide a major upgrade at the position, particularly on the offensive end. Over the past two seasons, Contreras' 121 wRC+ ranks third among all catchers who have logged at least 500 plate appearances over that stretch. While joining a strong Cardinals lineup that includes Nolan Arenado and reigning National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt in the heart of the order, Contreras should have a good chance at improving upon the run and RBI totals he logged with sub-.500 Cubs teams both of the last two years.

Jackson was sent outright to Triple-A Nashville on Friday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Jackson will still be invited to spring training by Milwaukee, but he will now have to fight to reclaim his spot on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old backstop spent most of last season in Triple-A, recording a .701 OPS through 119 plate appearances.

Maile signed a one-year deal with the Reds on Monday.

Maile slashed .221/.301/.326 through 206 plate appearances last season for Cleveland, and found a decent amount of success against left-handed pitching (.300 AVG, 8 RBI). Tyler Stephenson will likely remain Cincinnati's primary option behind the plate, but Maile could still see a good chunk of playing time in 2023 as a backup.

Heineman was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Tuesday.

Heineman appeared in 62 games between the Pirates and Blue Jays last season and had a .217/.276/.268 slash line, and he won't stick on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster through the offseason.

Stephenson (collarbone) announced Wednesday via his personal Twitter account that he's resumed taking batting practice.

Stephenson's 2022 campaign came to an end in late July, when he suffered a broken right collarbone that later required surgery. The fact that he's swinging a bat again suggests he's nearing the finish line in his recovery from surgery, but he'll still need to complete a throwing program before he's fully cleared for catching duties in spring training. When healthy last season, Stephenson displayed the upside of a top-tier fantasy catcher, as he hit .319 with six home runs, 35 RBI and 24 runs in just 183 plate appearances.

Rodriguez was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Rodriguez is one of the league's best catching prospects and finished 2022 at the Triple-A level despite beginning the season at High-A. He played in only six games at the highest level of the minors, but his .997 OPS on the season could push him toward making his MLB debut next year.