MLB Player News

The Braves have asked Jackson if he'd consider a move back to catcher, FOXSports.com reports.

Apparently, the talk of a possible positional change is "an ongoing conversation." General manager John Coppolella said this week that while the organization doesn't want to put too much pressure on Jackson, catcher "is a big area of need for us in the future." Jackson was regarded as a fairly strong defensive catcher coming out of high school and his bat certainly hasn't played well in the corner outfield so far at the lower levels, so a move would make sense. Jackson, the sixth overall pick by the Mariners in 2014, turns 21 later this month.

Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the Twins on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The 31-year-old hasn't appeared in the majors since 2012 likely due to his batting average in the minors settling around the Mendoza Line since that brief stint. Unless something drastically changes for him, Rodriguez will likely act as an organizational depth piece in his new organization.

Rohlfing signed a minor league contract with the Twins on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The well-traveled catcher spent the past four seasons at the Triple-A level, but Rohlfing hasn't been able to crack the major league roster due to typically poor batting lines and strikeout rates north of 20 percent. Until he can solve these issues, he'll likely continue to dwell in the minors as an organizational depth piece.

Sanchez signed a minor league contract with the Padres on Tuesday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

The Padres are expected to give Austin Hedges his shot to be the primary catcher in the big leagues, meaning Sanchez will likely spend another year in either a backup role or in an organizational depth role.

The Brewers traded Maldonado to the Angels on Tuesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Milwaukee packaged Maldonado with Drew Gagnon to land a marginal upgrade at the catcher position in Jett Bandy. Maldonado graded out favorably behind the plate in 2016 and walked at a 13.8 percent clip, but the rest of his offensive numbers were less than stellar. Still, Maldonado would seem to have a leg up on Carlos Perez for the lion's share of the playing time in 2017.

Garcia signed a minor league contract with the Brewers on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

He spent the entire 2016 season with Milwaukee and will return to serve as organizational catching depth. Look for him to start the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Lino signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.

At 23, Lino has never played in the majors, and appeared to take a step back in his development last year, as he played 40 games at High-A after reaching Triple-A in 2015. Part of that was so he could accommodate better catching prospects in the Phillies' system, but it shows just how unimpressive his 2016 was on the whole. Look for him to serve as organizational depth for the Cardinals.

Stewart (knee) feels as though he's returned to full health since undergoing knee surgery in September, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Stewart battled knee issues last season, but appears to be ready to return once the 2017 campaign rolls around. The 34-year-old played in just 34 games during 2016 and posted a bleak .214/.319/.286 line in that time.

Monell signed a contract with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

The 30-year-old backstop has bounced around the minor leagues in his career, although he's never been able to stick at the major league level. Monell will look to boost his stock with some time in the hitter-friendly KBO for the next season, likely with the hopes of creating some intrigue for next year's offseason.

Maile is expected to platoon with Curt Casali at catcher until the newly acquired Wilson Ramos (knee) is healthy.

The 25-year-old backstop slashed .227/.252/.361 with three homers and 15 RBI over 126 plate appearances at the big league level in 2016. Those numbers represented a notable improvement over his 2015 cup of coffee, which consisted of a scant 35 plate appearances and saw Maile generate a .171/.171/.257 line. With Ramos not expected back until late May at the earliest, Maile figures to see a decent amount of playing time while platooning with Casali to open the season, with his exact role after Ramos' return likely to be largely predicated on how he acquits himself during that period.