MLB Player News

Heineman agreed Sunday with the Blue Jays on a minor-league contract, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Heineman is expected to slot in as catching depth for Toronto at Triple-A Buffalo in 2022 after he spent the entire 2021 campaign between two Triple-A affiliates in Lehigh Valley and Memphis as a member of the Phillies and Cardinals organizations, respectively. The 30-year-old backstop has previously gotten tastes of the big leagues in the 2019 season with the Marlins and the 2020 season with the Giants, slashing a collective .208/.288/.302 over 62 career plate appearances.

Tromp returned to Atlanta on a minor-league contract Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Tromp was claimed off waivers from the Giants in late September last year but didn't get into a major-league game for his new organization. His .215/.220/.418 slash line in 33 career major-league games suggests he fits best as organizational depth.

Maile signed a minor-league deal with the Guardians on Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The contract pays Maile $900,000 if he makes the major-league roster. The 31-year-old hasn't done much at the plate over the course of his career, hitting .203/.258/.310, though he did post an .816 OPS in 15 games for the Brewers last season. If he's able to break camp with the Guardians, Maile would likely serve as the No. 2 catcher behind Austin Hedges.

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.

Jeffers may head into the season as Minnesota's clear top backstop, following Saturday's trade that sent Mitch Garver to Texas.

This move was a big boost for Jeffers' fantasy value, barring any other moves to bring in a catcher. The Twins' only other catchers on the 40-man roster are Ben Rortvedt and Tomas Telis. Jeffers hit .273 in 2020 but regressed in 2021, hitting .199 with a 36.9 K%. Even so, he had nothing but success in the minors and is a great defensive catcher, so the playing time will likely be there.

Heim appears set to lose out on playing time following the Rangers' acquisition of Mitch Garver from the Twins on Saturday.

He was set to be nominally atop the depth chart prior to this move, but Garver will now clearly be the top Rangers catcher when healthy. Jose Trevino is also a viable big-leaguer, so perhaps there is another move coming for Texas.

Garver was traded from the Twins to the Rangers on Saturday in exchange for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ronny Henriquez, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

He will head to a slightly worse lineup, with a negligible change in home parks for a right-handed hitter. With Garver, the expectation should be that he will be a very productive fantasy catcher when he is in the lineup, but durability has been an issue in the past. He has only played in 100 games once (103 in 2018) and was limited to 93 games in 2019, 23 games in the shortened 2020 season and 68 games in 2021.

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.

Wallach will serve as a non-roster invitee with the Angels during spring training.

Wallach spent the 2021 campaign with three big-league teams but lost his spot on the Angels' 40-man roster in mid-November. He'll get to work with the major-league coaching staff this spring but will likely begin the regular season at Triple-A Salt Lake.

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.