MLB Player News

Moore agreed to a minor league deal with the Indians on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

The 32-year-old catcher spent most of his time in Triple-A Columbus, slashing .247/.316/.365 in 329 plate appearances. He was briefly called up to the Indians, going hitless in five at-bats with four strikeouts. Given his career slash line of .197/.237/.303 in 292 major league plate appearances, he will likely serve as organizational depth again for the Tribe.

Gosewisch was claimed off waiver by the Mariners on Thursday, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

The 33-year-old has struggled across the parts of four major league seasons, accumulating a .199/.237/.286 line in 392 at-bats. He will merely serve as an organizational depth piece if he cracks the big league roster.

Stassi suffered a concussion in October while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stassi entered last season as the team's backup catcher, but a broken left wrist in March derailed his season. With just a total of 256 at-bats (13 in the majors), he tried to make up for lost time during winter ball, but that lasted just two games after a batter clipped him on the head on his backswing and was diagnosed with a concussion. He said he's healthy and ready for spring training, but is third on the depth chart behind Brian McCann and Evan Gattis. If neither of those two suffer a significant injury, Stassi, who is out of minor league options, will have to pass through waivers to remain in the organization.

Thole agreed to a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks on Monday, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.

Thole was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays in 2016 after struggling at the plate to the tune of a .169 batting average over 50 games played. He has never been much of an offensive threat and will likely provide organization catching depth for the Diamondbacks in 2017.

Maldonado agreed to a one-year, $1.725 million deal with the Angels on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Prior to being acquired by the Angels in December of 2016, Maldonado acted as the Brewers' back-up catcher for the better part of the past five seasons. Known more for his defensive prowess, the veteran catcher owns a career batting average of .217. He'll likely receive a fair amount of playing time for the Angels in 2017, but doesn't figure to provide much of an offensive impact.

Leon agreed to a one-year deal with the Red Sox on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Terms of the agreement were not made public. Leon is coming off what may go down as a career year, slashing .310/.369/.476 over 283 plate appearances. However, every projection system forecasts massive regression, and he will have to compete with Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart for regular duty behind the dish.

Grandal and the Dodgers avoided arbitration Friday with a one-year, $5.5 million deal, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Despite playing hurt for much of the year, Grandal still managed to post a career-high .477 slugging percentage. He hit at an elite level when healthy, slashing .287/.410/.622 in the months of June and July, but the problem with him going forward is that he often isn't healthy. That aside, he remains a power bat with top pitch-framing skills behind the plate, so his spot with the Dodgers would seem to be secure.

D'Arnaud agreed to a one-year, $1.875 million deal with the Mets on Friday, avoiding arbitration, FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman reports.

He is on track to enter the year as the Mets' No. 1 catcher, but on the heels of posting a 74 wRC+ with just four home runs and a .247 average in 276 plate appearances, his draft day price will be as low as ever. While a bounce back of sorts should be expected, d'Arnaud no longer looks like a high-upside option at the position.

Collins spent most of his time in the Arizona Fall League, catching bullpen sessions and refining his defensive skills.

The left-handed hitting Collins, the 10th overall pick in the 2016 draft, flashed as a hitter at High-A Winston-Salem, finishing with six homers and an .885 OPS in 153 plate appearances over 36 games. The White Sox know the kid can hit; now they have to develop his receiving skills. For those targeting Collins for fantasy leagues that carry minor-leaguers, don't be surprised if the hitting drops off as the organization has him focus on his defense. It happens to a lot of young catchers. Once the defensive part of the game becomes more instinctual, the bat will bounce back quickly.

Castillo signed a minor league deal with the Yankees on Saturday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The veteran catcher spent last season in the Blue Jays' organization, slashing .250/.250/.344 at Triple-A Buffalo over 10 games. He figures to add depth at either Double-A Trenton or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but a 32-year-old catcher that hasn't played at the major league level since 2009 is unlikely to crack the Yankees' 25-man roster.