ROB BRANTLY NEWS

Chooses to become free agent Brantly elected free agency Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Brantly had a brief stint in the majors last season, playing in three games and going 1-for-9 with the Rays in late August. That MLB action was his first since the 2022 campaign, and he's played in just 12 contests in the big leagues overall since 2017 while spending time with six different organizations. Brantly would likely need to accept a minor-league deal in order to latch on with a new squad.

OCTOBER 5 • ROTOWIRE

Chooses to become free agent Brantly elected free agency Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Brantly had a brief stint in the majors last season, playing in three games and going 1-for-9 with the Rays in late August. That MLB action was his first since the 2022 campaign, and he's played in just 12 contests in the big leagues overall since 2017 while spending time with six different organizations. Brantly would likely need to accept a minor-league deal in order to latch on with a new squad.

OCTOBER 5 • ROTOWIRE

Clears waivers The Rays outrighted Brantly to Triple-A Durham on Monday.

Impact While Ben Rortvedt was on the paternity list last week, the Rays briefly added Brantly to the 40-man roster and had him serve as the No. 2 catcher for the big club behind Alex Jackson. Before the Rays cast him off the 40-man roster when Rortvedt rejoined the team Saturday, Brantly went 1-for-9 while appearing in three games, marking his first big-league action since the 2022 campaign. The 35-year-old backstop will now head back to Durham, but he could get another call-up in September if Rortvedt or Jackson misses time or if the Rays want to carry a third catcher.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Dropped from 40-man The Rays designated Brantly for assignment Saturday.

Impact The return of Ben Rortvedt from the family emergency list will leave Brantly without a spot on the active and 40-man rosters. The 35-year-old backstop went 1-for-9 over three games during his stint with the Rays, and the owns a .741 OPS across 155 plate appearances in the minors.

AUGUST 24 • ROTOWIRE

Rays' Shane Baz, Rob Brantly team up for triumphant comebacks as Tampa Bay beats A's

On one side of the winning Tampa Bay clubhouse, pitcher Shane Baz celebrated his first win in more than two years after a long journey back from Tommy John surgery

AUGUST 21 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Siri homers to break up scoreless game, help Baz to first win in two years as Rays beat A's 1-0

Jose Siri homered with two outs in the eighth inning to break up a scoreless pitchers’ duel and help Shane Baz earn his first victory in more than two years, and the Tampa Bay Rays...

AUGUST 21 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Contract selected The Rays selected Brantly's contract from Triple-A Durham on Monday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Impact He'll serve as the backup catcher behind Alex Jackson while Ben Rortvedt is away on paternity leave. Brantly is a career .225/.287/.326 hitter over parts of eight big-league seasons and sports a .741 OPS this year with Durham.

AUGUST 19 • ROTOWIRE

Part of taxi squad Brantly is in Tampa Bay on the Rays' taxi squad for the weekend series against the Diamondbacks, Steve Carney of StPeteNine.com reports.

Impact Ben Rortvedt is expected to go on paternity leave soon, so Brantly is with Tampa Bay as the 27th man. Brantly has spent all of 2023 with Triple-A Durham and is slashing .271/.390/.361 with five home runs and 17 RBI.

AUGUST 17 • ROTOWIRE

Gets deal with Tampa Bay Brantly signed a minor-league contract with the Rays on Monday.

Impact The deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training, where Brantly will presumably get the chance to compete for the Rays' No. 2 catching gig heading into Opening Day. The 34-year-old journeyman backstop spent last season in the Toronto organization, slashing .271/.390/.361 over 177 plate appearances with Triple-A Buffalo before he was cut loose in July.

JANUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE

Cut by Jays The Blue Jays released Brantly on Friday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Impact Brantly was slashing .271/.390/.361 across 177 plate appearances with Triple-A Buffalo, and he'll now attempt to latch on with a new organization. His performance should earn him a minor-league deal, though a promotion to the majors this season remains unlikely.

JULY 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Re-ups on minor-league deal Brantly re-signed Saturday with the Yankees on a minor-league contract.

Impact Upon clearing waivers Friday, Brantly declined his outright assignment to the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate at Scanton/Wilkes-Barre and opted for free agency, only to re-sign with the organization on a minor-league deal a day later. Though neither Jose Trevino nor Kyle Higashioka have performed at a high level as the Yankees' primary catchers this season, Brantly, a 32-year-old journeyman, won't be viewed as a solution behind the plate at the big-league level while the two backstops are both healthy and available.

MAY 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Rays get 2 hits, both homers, top Yanks 4-2 for 4-game split

Taylor Walls and  J-Man Choi homered for Tampa Bay’s only hits, and the Rays scored two runs in the seventh inning on four walks and a hit batter in a 4-2 win over the New York Yan...

MAY 29, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Highways and byways: Brantly's mad dash to Bronx This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regular...

MAY 26, 2022 • MLB.COM

Outrighted to Triple-A Brantly was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Impact Brantly was designated for assignment Wednesday, but he'll remain in the organization after going unclaimed on waivers. The backstop has hit .229 with a home run, four RBI and two runs over 14 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.

MAY 26, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yankees sign Matt Carpenter, bring up Manny Bañuelos

Matt Carpenter was inserted to the New York Yankees’ lineup as the designated hitter after agreeing to a one-year contract, a week after he was released from the Texas Rangers’ min...

MAY 26, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Designated for assignment Brantly was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Wednesday.

Impact The 32-year-old signed with the Yankees over the weekend as catching depth but has quickly been removed from the 40-man roster with Kyle Higashioka (illness) and Joey Gallo (illness) back from the COVID-19 injured list. Brantly appeared in one game during his brief time in the majors and went 1-for-3 with a double.

MAY 25, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Banged-up Yankees add Stanton, Loáisiga to injured list

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is on the injured list for the fourth straight season

MAY 25, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Anderson's HR hushes Yankees, lifts Chisox to twinbill sweep

Tim Anderson hit a three-run homer and then put a finger to his lips to silence the booing fans, capping a tumultuous weekend at Yankee Stadium and helping the Chicago White Sox be...

MAY 22, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Called up from Triple-A The Yankees signed Brantly to a minor-league deal and selected his contract from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre ahead of Sunday's doubleheader with the White Sox.

Impact The Yankees freed up room for Brantly on the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster by placing fellow backstop Kyle Higashioka (illness) on the COVID-19-related injured list. Jose Trevino is expected to serve as the Yankees' clear No. 1 catcher while Higashioka is on the shelf, so Brantly's opportunities with the Yankees will likely be limited. Brantly will likely start behind the plate in Game 2 of the twin bill, however, as Trevino is catching in Game 1.

MAY 22, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Back with Yankees on minors deal Brantly signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees on Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Impact Brantly served as organizational depth for the Yankees last season, getting into six games. He's appeared in a grand total of 134 games in a major-league career that began back in 2012, and he's unlikely to add a considerable amount to that total next season.

DECEMBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Elects free agency Brantly elected free agency Friday.

Impact He refused an outright assignment by the Yankees and will explore other options this offseason. Brantly is strictly a career third or fourth catcher at this stage of his career.

NOVEMBER 5, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Outrighted to Triple-A Brantly cleared waivers Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Impact Brantly got into six major-league games this season after appearing in a combined two across the previous three campaigns. He'll remain as organizational depth going forward.

NOVEMBER 5, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Contract selected Brantly's contract was selected by the Yankees on Tuesday, and he'll be part of the team's wild-card roster.

Impact Brantly has appeared in five major-league games this season, filling in when either Gary Sanchez or Kyle Higashioka landed on the COVID-19 injured list. He'll serve as the third catcher Tuesday, allowing the Yankees to use Sanchez as a pinch hitter while still having cover behind the plate for Higashioka, who's expected to catch for Gerrit Cole.

OCTOBER 5, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Red Sox leave Martinez off WC roster; Yanks start Urshela

Designated hitter J

OCTOBER 5, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Returns to minors Brantly was returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Impact The 32-year-old had been with the major-league club as depth behind the dish since Aug. 5, and he went 1-for-5 with a strikeout in two appearances since then. Gary Sanchez is expected to return from the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday, so Brantly will lose his spot on the active roster.

AUGUST 17, 2021 • ROTOWIRE