MLB Player News

Stubbs is expected to get looks in the infield during spring training, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Stubbs saw time in the outfield with the Astros a season ago, manning left field in seven contests. It would certainly make him a more valuable ballplayer if he's able to add a few infield positions to his repertoire.

Manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that Perez (elbow) could see considerable time at first base in 2020, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Since debuting with the Royals in 2011, Perez has shouldered one of the heavier workloads among all big-league catchers, but the Royals will likely be more cautious with his usage behind the plate after Tommy John surgery cost him the entire 2019 campaign. Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com relayed in November that Perez is right on schedule with his recovery and should be restriction-free once spring training arrives, so the 29-year-old should have ample time to get acclimated to the defensive nuances of first base. That being said, Ryan O'Hearn, Ryan McBroom and Hunter Dozier represent the main candidates to man the position in 2020, so Perez's opportunities at first base (and designated hitter too, for that matter) will most likely come on the occasions where the team wants to give him a day off from catching while simultaneously keeping his bat in the lineup.

Murphy will likely serve as the Mariners' primary catcher in 2020 after Omar Narvaez was traded to the Brewers on Thursday, ESPN reports.

Murphy saw an increased role for the Mariners in 2019 even while working behind Narvaez, as he managed to appear in 76 games. Over the season, the 28-year-old hit .273/.324/.535 with 18 home runs and 40 RBI. Austin Nola will likely serve as the backup, but Murphy could gain fantasy relevance in deeper leagues in 2020 if he continues to produce.

Narvaez was traded to the Brewers from the Mariners on Thursday in exchange for right-hander Adam Hill and a competitive balance draft pick, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Brewers appear to have found their new primary catcher after losing Yasmani Grandal to free agency this offseason. Narvaez saw an increased role in his first season with the Mariners last year. He performed well at the plate, hitting .278/.353/.460 with 22 home runs over 132 games. While the 27-year-old showed that he is able to handle a heavy workload and is a quality offensive option at the position, he does not grade out well defensively, so he should see a modest downturn in playing time now that he is on a team with playoff aspirations. The left-handed hitter has stark career splits (99 wRC+ against LHP, 116 wRC+ against RHP), so Manny Pina, who is a superior defender, should start against most southpaws.

Leon signed a one-year, $2 million deal with Cleveland on Monday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Cleveland clearly wanted to keep the catcher around after acquiring him in a trade from Boston earlier in the day. He lines up as the backup behind Roberto Perez.

Maile was non-tendered by the Blue Jays on Monday.

Maile has appeared in 159 games for Toronto over the past three seasons. He's hit .193 with seven home runs and 43 RBI over that span.

Plawecki was non-tendered by the Indians on Monday, Tribeinsider reports.

Plawecki struggled at the dish in 2019, hitting just .222 with three homers and 17 RBI over 60 games. If he does resurface in the major leagues during the 2020 campaign, it'll likely be in a backup role.

Diaz (knee) was non-tendered by the Pirates on Monday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Diaz took the field in 101 games a season ago, hitting .241 with two homers and 28 RBI. His injury history could scare some teams off, but he may still receive a big-league offer after being cut loose by Pittsburgh.

Barnes agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Dodgers on Monday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

He will avoid arbitration and won't get non-tendered, despite the fact he hit .203/.293/.340 in 242 plate appearances last year. While his offensive output has been quite poor in every year except 2017, he is a good defensive catcher and can play second base in a pinch. He should serve as Will Smith's backup in 2020.

McCann agreed to a one-year, $5.4 million deal with the White Sox, avoiding arbitration, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

While the signing of Yasmani Grandal greatly reduces McCann's role with Chicago going forward, he was worth 2.3 fWAR in 476 plate appearances last year, so it would have been surprising to see him non-tendered. McCann enters 2020 as one of the better backup catchers in the American League.