MLB Player News

O'Hoppe was invited to major-league camp by the Phillies on Saturday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

O'Hoppe saw his stock rise last season after he hit .270/.331/.458 across the three highest levels of the minors. He's the Phillies' top catching prospect, though the starting role behind the plate is unlikely to open up anytime soon with perennial All-Star J.T. Realmuto under contract through 2025. O'Hoppe is unlikely to push for the Opening Day backup job, as just six of his games last season came at the Triple-A level, but a big-league debut later in the year is a possibility.

Contreras and the Cubs could work out a contract extension before the start of the regular season, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Contreras was one of the only veterans the Cubs didn't trade at the deadline last season, as Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo all got moved. Heading into the offseason, a Contreras extension was a hot topic, as 2022 is his last year under team control. The lockout put a pause on any negotiations, but with the luxury tax threshold going up in the new agreement, the Cubs might be willing and able to spend on their star catcher. If the sides can't reach a deal, Contreras will be a likely trade candidate this summer on his expiring contract.

Cartaya has resumed taking live batting practice and participating in drills at the Dodgers' minor-league spring training after missing the final two and a half months of the 2021 season due to back issues, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The back injury coupled with the cancellation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic has thus far limited Cartaya to 80 minor-league games since he signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million in July 2018 as an 18-year-old out of Venezuela. Despite the relative lack of experience, the now-20-year-old is regarded as the organization's top catching prospect following last season's trade that sent Keibert Ruiz to the Nationals. Cartaya demonstrated an advanced two-way skill set during his injury-shortened stint at at Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2021, posting a monstrous 1.023 OPS while showing strong receiving skills and a good arm behind the plate. He'll likely return to Low-A to begin the 2022 campaign, but if can show more durability and cut down on his strikeout rate, a promotion to High-A Great Lakes could come quickly.

Perez signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Sunday.

Perez spent 2021 with the A's at the Triple-A level and hit .269/.337/.572 with 31 homers, 89 RBI and 61 runs in 97 games, crushing his previous season high of 14 home runs. The 31-year-old should serve as organizational depth but could receive a big-league opportunity with another strong campaign.

Perez signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Pirates on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Pirates didn't have a catcher on the roster after trading Jacob Stallings to the Marlins on Monday. That could mean Perez has an easy path to the primary catcher role in 2022, though his .155/.253/.277 slash line over the last two seasons suggests that the Pirates may want to bring in an alternative alongside him.

Gomes agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Cubs on Tuesday, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

It's a bit unusual to see the Cubs give a multi-year deal to a 34-year-old when they don't appear to be close to playoff contention, but they could see Gomes as a potential mentor for their next wave of pitchers or perhaps as someone they can flip at the deadline. The veteran has been a slightly below-average hitter for most of his career, with his 93 wRC+ last season nearly matching his career wRC+ of 91. That's an unexciting mark but an adequate one for a backstop. He doesn't appear to have a path for more than backup at-bats unless Willson Contreras is traded, but he could do enough in that small role to matter in deep, two-catcher formats.

Stallings was traded from the Pirates to the Marlins in exchange for Zach Thompson, Kyle Nicolas and Connor Scott on Monday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Stallings spent his first six major-league seasons in Pittsburgh, and he appeared in a career-high 112 games during the 2021 season. He hit .246 with eight home runs, 53 RBI and 38 runs last year and appears to be in line to serve as the Marlins' primary catcher in 2022.

Sullivan agreed to a one-year, major-league contract with the Brewers on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The news of a major-league deal comes as something of a surprise, as Sullivan is a 27-year-old with zero major-league experience. He wasn't particularly good at the Triple-A level last season, either, hitting .223/.302/.375 across 90 games, but the Brewers evidently feel he adds something as an extra catcher who can also provide cover at the infield and outfield corners.

Perez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Perez was cast off the Pirates' 40-man roster last week but will remain in the organization after he went unclaimed on waivers. The 29-year-old appeared in 70 major-league games during the 2021 campaign, and he'll likely compete for a spot on the active roster during spring training in 2022.

Amaya (elbow) is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Amaya didn't play a game after June 3 while dealing with an injury that was originally called a forearm strain. While Tommy John surgery doesn't keep hitters out for as long as it sidelines pitchers, it's still likely to require a lengthy recovery process, which could cause him to miss a meaningful portion of the 2022 campaign.