MLB Player News

The Reds don't anticipate bringing in another veteran catcher, instead relying on Barnhart and Devin Mesoraco's return from injury.

That likely rules out free agent Matt Wieters. Mesoraco's status is still up in the air - he's on track with his rehab but hasn't been rigorously tested yet. So that means that Barnhart could still have a pretty heavy workload in 2017.

Perez is expected to serve in the same backup role he acted in last season.

The 26-year-old backstop didn't bring much to the plate in 291 plate appearances last year, slashing a meager .209/.244/.325. While the newly-acquired Martin Maldonado isn't much better with his bat, he possesses plus defensive skills behind the plate, making him the favorite to start over Perez. Neither catcher will have much value out of the gates.

Barnes is the favorite to win the backup catcher job out of spring training.

Barnes didn't do much in his limited playing time last season, slashing a meager .156/.270/.188 in 37 plate appearances. That was a small sample size, and there is hope for his bat after he slashed .295/.380/.443 with Triple-A Oklahoma City last season. With Carlos Ruiz gone, Barnes will handle primary backup duties for Yasmani Grandal.

Narvaez is expected to be one of the two catchers on the White Sox Opening Day roster. In 34 games last season, including a majority of the starts down the stretch, Narvaez hit .267/.350/.337.

The White Sox had some injuries at catcher and were forced to call up Narvaez sooner than anticipated. He held his own at the plate while effectively managing the staff and management feels he's earned a shot based on his performance. However, the White Sox decision-makers are also cognizant of his relative inexperience, bringing in 34-year-old veteran Geovany Soto, who stands a good chance to share the job with the soon-to-be 25-year-old Narvaez. The position could certainly use an upgrade, but with 2017 shaping up to be a rebuilding season on the south side, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is filling the gap until Zack Collins, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is ready for duty.

Thaiss received an invitation to major league spring training Thursday.

This comes as no surprise, as Thaiss has established himself as one of the Halos' top prospects following a strong professional debut that saw him make the leap to Low-A and hold his own. The 21-year-old will likely start 2017 either at Low-A or High-A, but if he continues to display outstanding plate discipline while batting in the upper-.200s, he could move up further in the organization by the end of the season.

Plawecki will compete with Rene Rivera for the backup catcher spot on the Mets' 25-man roster this spring.

The team will give Travis d'Arnaud at least one more chance to prove he can stay healthy and effective, so Plawecki could find himself back at Triple-A Las Vegas for the fourth straight season. The 25-year-old has put up some good batting averages in the desert, including a .300/.348/.484 line in 190 at-bats in 2016, but has yet to translate that production to the majors.

D'Arnaud has spent the offseason completely retooling his swing, as well as working on his throwing mechanics behind the plate, the New York Post reports.

The 27-year-old catcher is coming off the worst offensive season of his career, and while d'Arnaud's inability to stay healthy certainly played a big role in his .630 OPS, the length of his swing was also an issue. Eliminating his habit of wrapping the bat around his head while in his stance, and taking a more direct path to the ball, could help him recapture the promise he showed in 2015 when he hit 12 home runs with an .825 OPS in 67 games. The Mets still have Kevin Plawecki and Rene Rivera on hand to provide competition, but d'Arnaud will get at least one more chance to establish himself as the team's catcher of both the present and the future.

Mejia will enter spring training as part of the team's 40-man roster, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Mejia captured the spotlight thanks to a remarkable season that included a 50-game hitting streak in 2016. The 21-year-old will likely begin the year at Double-A Akron, with an outside chance that he breaks the big league roster at some point in 2017. Although maybe not relevant in standard leagues just yet, Mejia makes for a great option in dynasty leagues. Signed by the Indians as a free agent in 2012, Mejia now ranks at the organization's No. 3 overall prospect.

Mesoraco is expected to begin spring training without any limitations, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports.

This is great news for Mesoraco and Cincinnati fans, as the catcher has played a combined 39 games over the past two years. In his last full season, which was 2014, the 28-year-old posted his best numbers to date, slashing .273/.359/.534 with 25 homers in 440 plate appearances while earning his only All-Star nomination.

Deglan agreed to a minor league deal with the Yankees that includes an invitation to spring training.

The 24-year-old hasn't made it past Double-A in his seven seasons with the Rangers since being taken in the first round of the 2010 draft. He struggled at Double-A Frisco last season, slashing .194/.256/.332 in 294 plate appearances, striking out a tough 36.7 percent of the time in the process.