The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed catcher Ronaldo Hernandez to a minor-league deal. The 26-year-old was originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays and made his professional debut in the 2015 season. More recently, he spent the 2023 season at the Triple-A level in the Red Sox organization, swatting 17 home runs alongside a .242 batting average across 99 games played. Overall, the righty-swinging backstop owns a career .279 average with 91 HR across 636 games played in the minor leagues. He will presumably serve as Triple-A catching depth for the reigning NL champs in the 2024 campaign.

The Boston Red Sox designated right-hander Mauricio Llovera for assignment on Wednesday to clear a 40-man roster spot once the signing of fellow right-hander Lucas Giolito became official. The 27-year-old appeared in the big leagues with both the Red Sox and San Francisco Giants in the 2023 season, working to a 4.89 ERA across 30 appearances. He has also spent time with the Phillies in the majors, tossing a 9.45 ERA with the club across just six outings in the 2021 season. All told, Llovera owns a career 5.80 ERA across 54 outings in the big leagues while walks and home runs have been an issue with a 10.1% career BB% alongside a 1.53 HR/9 clip.

Free-agent shortstop Kevin Newman agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Newman will give Arizona some veteran infield depth heading into the 2024 season. The 30-year-old veteran spent last season playing for the Cincinnati Reds, slashing .253/.311/.364 with three home runs, 16 doubles, 28 RBI, eight stolen bases and 28 runs scored in 253 trips to the plate over 74 games. In his six years in the big leagues (five with the Pittsburgh Pirates), Newman has hit .259 (459-for-1,770) with 23 home runs, 171 RBI, 38 stolen bases and 189 runs scored in 505 total games played. He isn't really going to have any fantasy appeal as long as he's in a utility role in Arizona.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and free-agent catcher Tucker Barnhart agreed to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invite to spring training, per FanSided's Robert Murray. The 32-year-old veteran slashed just .202/.285/.257 with one home run and nine RBI in 123 plate appearances last season with the Cubs. However, Barnhart brings defensive prowess with him, having earned a pair of Gold Glove awards throughout his career. As such, he may be in the mix for the backup catcher role with the Diamondbacks. While his defensive skills may help the team out this season, his recent lack of offensive production makes him an afterthought in fantasy leagues.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday that the Seattle Mariners could be a potential trade destination for Chicago White Sox right-handed starter Dylan Cease. The 28-year-old's name has been at the center of trade talks this offseason, and while the Baltimore Orioles have been one of the teams popping up more frequently, Morosi said the Mariners could potentially trade for Cease and then trade away one of their younger pitchers for a hitter. Cease maintained his high strikeout numbers but regressed overall in 2023, going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 27.3% strikeout rate, and 10.1% walk rate in 33 starts and 177 innings pitched. While there is a chance Cease does not end up getting traded, the consensus is that he will have a new uniform in 2024.