MLB Player News

Marchan is favored to win the Phillies' backup catcher job this spring, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Marchan is a decent enough prospect on both sides of the ball who's been knocking on the door ever since 2020, when he appeared in three games and hit his first professional home run at any level. He hasn't done anything to force his way onto the roster, however, hitting .238/.328/.328 at the Triple-A level across parts of four seasons. The 25-year-old is now out of options, which could give him the leg up over career backup Garrett Stubbs, who offers little more than clubhouse leadership. With J.T. Realmuto now in his age-34 season and set to be a free agent, Marchan could be auditioning to be the catcher of the future this spring.

Hernandez signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Sunday that includes an invite to big-league spring training.

The 27-year-old spent last season at Triple-A Reno in the Diamondbacks' system, where he played in 63 games and had a .311/.357/.507 slash line with 11 home runs. Hernandez has yet to make his MLB debut and is likely to open the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as organizational depth.

The Blue Jays signed Whatley to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Whatley, 29, posted a .614 OPS with five home runs over 50 games at Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers organization last season. He's merely an extra catcher in camp and will be assigned to a minor-league affiliate rather than break camp with the big club.

Wong appeared to be noticeably stronger at January's Fan Fest, Jenn McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Wong jokingly said he spent the winter "eating a lot," in an effort to be more durable behind the plate. The strong frame might also help him sustain through the regular season with a bat in his hand. Wong owned an .856 OPS through the end of June then dropped to .671 the rest of the way. Wong is expected to serve as Boston's No. 1 catcher and won't have to look over his shoulder at Kyle Teel, the prospect who was traded to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet swap.

Rodriguez (elbow) said his swing feels 100 percent as he enters spring training, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez missed nearly the entire 2024 season while recovering from elbow surgery. However, his sights will be set on a big-league roster spot entering 2025, as the Pirates depth chart at catcher is ambiguous following Joey Bart. Rodriguez did acknowledge that he will likely experience some rust early in spring, so his exhibition stats may not be particularly impressive.

Tromp is the leading candidate to back up Sean Murphy behind the plate for Atlanta to begin the season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 29-year-old has never gotten more than 64 big-league plate appearances in a season and has just a .232/.237/.397 slash line for his career, but Atlanta is comfortable with his defense and game-calling. Tromp's main competition for a spot on the Opening Day roster will likely come from top prospect Drake Baldwin, although veteran backstops Curt Casali and Sandy Leon will also be in camp for Atlanta.

McCann cleared waivers Wednesday and was sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

After spending all of last season in the big leagues as Shea Langeliers' backup, McCann will now be relegated to minor-league depth in favor of Jhonny Pereda. McCann's last Triple-A season saw him slash .270/.351/.474 with 17 homers and 57 RBI, and he could earn his way back into the majors with similar production in 2025.

Dingler and Jake Rogers appear set to split catching duties for the Tigers to begin the regular season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Dingler made his MLB debut toward the end of 2024 and appeared in 27 games. He slashed just .167/.195/.310, but the 26-year-old impressed with his poise behind the plate defensively, and he now figures to take on a bigger role right out of the gates this season. The veteran Rogers still projects as the top option on the depth chart, but Dingler should see plenty of action and could receive more playing time as the season goes on, particularly if Rogers struggles or gets dinged up.

Ramirez is expected to begin the season with Triple-A Jacksonville, but a strong performance in spring training could force the Marlins' hands, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The headliner in the Jazz Chisholm deal with the Yankees last year, Ramirez slashed .250/.351/.419 in 68 games between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Jacksonville at the Triple-A level with nine homers and nine steals, but he performed much better in the Marlins' system after the trade, posting an .829 OPS in 163 plate appearances for Jacksonville compared to a .692 mark for Scranton. Miami will be in no rush to start his service clock, but the team also has very little standing in his way at catcher, with Nick Fortes having failed to reach a .600 OPS in either of the last two seasons. If Ramirez stands out in camp, the Marlins could consider accelerating the timeline for the 23-year-old.

Brantly signed a minor-league contract with the Marlins on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Brantly spent all of last season in the Rays organization, slashing .250/.316/.394 with 19 RBI across 177 plate appearances. The 35-year-old backstop has only played in 12 MLB games dating back to 2019, however, so there's little hope for him to serve as more than minor-league depth.