MLB Player News

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Friday that Torkelson's role for 2025 is not yet defined, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The Tigers have signed Gleyber Torres to play second base and will move Colt Keith to first base, leaving Torkelson without a clear path to playing time against right-handed pitching. He could be used in a short-side platoon with Keith at first base, but the Tigers dangling Torkelson in trade talks might be a likelier scenario. The former top prospect popped 31 home runs in 2023 but put up a .669 OPS in 2024 and spent a chunk of the season in the minors.

Torkelson might be limited to a short-side platoon or reserve role following the Tigers' signing of Gleyber Torres, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Torres is expected to play second base for Detroit, and the feeling seems to be that Colt Keith is likelier to handle first base than third base, which would leave Torkelson without a spot in the lineup at least against right-handed pitching. Torkelson stumbled to a .669 OPS in the 2024 regular season and spent a chunk of the season in the minors. However, the former top prospect cranked 31 homers in 2023 and is still just 25, so he should have some trade value if the Tigers want to go that route.

The Twins acquired Gasper from the Red Sox in exchange for Jovani Moran on Tuesday.

Gasper played in his first 13 big-league games during 2024 but spent most of the year with Triple-A Worcester. The backstop slashed .367/.471/.592 with eight home runs and 36 RBI across 204 plate appearances in what was his best minor-league campaign yet. However, he went hitless over 23 plate appearances with the Red Sox while also logging four walks, one hit-by-pitch and one run.

The Guardians signed Santana to a one-year, $12 million contract Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Santana's signing came shortly after Cleveland traded Josh Naylor to Arizona for pitcher Slade Cecconi, so Santana appears set to take over as the starter at first base for the Guardians. The $12 million contract represents a nice pay raise for the veteran slugger, who joined Minnesota on a one-year, $5.25 million dollar deal last February and enjoyed a solid campaign with a .748 OPS -- his highest since 2019 -- while slugging 23 homers and notching 71 RBI over 594 plate appearances during the regular season. Santana is nearing the end of his career -- he'll turn 39 years old in April -- but should provide a decent amount of run production in the middle of Cleveland's lineup while serving as a bridge to the team's future.

Goldschmidt signed a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the Yankees on Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The Yankees were left needing a first baseman after declining Anthony Rizzo's club option in November, and bringing in Goldschmidt will provide a short-term solution for 2025. The 37-year-old slashed .245/.302/.414 with 22 home runs, 65 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 154 games last year -- a sharp decline from his NL MVP campaign in 2022. That being said, fantasy managers may still be able to squeeze some value out of Goldschmidt, as he has rarely fallen short of the 20-homer mark in his 14-year career, and joining a lineup that also features Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger could boost his RBI and run totals.

The Astros agreed to terms on a three-year, $60 million contract with Walker on Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The Astros have their first baseman, which means Isaac Paredes will play third base and Alex Bregman is likely to sign somewhere else. Walker, who turns 34 in March, is the premier defensive first baseman in the game, having won three straight Gold Gloves and boasting the defensive metrics to match. He's also averaged 31.7 home runs over the last three seasons and should provide a boost in the middle of the Astros' lineup, provided he doesn't experience the kind of steep aging curve Jose Abreu did.

The Blue Jays traded Horwitz and Nick Mitchell to the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

In 97 games with the Blue Jays last year, Horwitz slashed .265/.357/.433 while mashing 12 homers and driving in 40 RBI. With second base now open in Cleveland following Gimenez's move to Toronto, Horwitz's clearest path to playing time is likely at the keystone, though he could also be used at first base and DH over the course of the season.

Kurtz slashed .353/.450/.608 with two home runs and a 16:9 K:BB in 60 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League.

He ended the regular season on the injured list at Double-A Midland due to a hamstring strain, but Kurtz was able to make up for lost time in the AFL and end his 2024 on a high note. Other than a general lack of athleticism and a bad body (listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds), Kurtz's only notable flaw is his injury history -- he missed time with random injuries at Wake Forest. However, after slashing .368/.520/.763 with four homers in 12 games split between Single-A and Double-A before dominating in the AFL, Kurtz's track record of hitting pro pitching is arguably tops in the 2024 draft class.

The Angels designated Wagaman for assignment Tuesday.

Wagaman slashed .250/.270/.403 with 10 RBI across the first 74 plate appearances of his MLB career in 2024, but the Angels decided his 40-man spot would be better used on Jack Dashwood, who had been eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. However, Wagaman turned in an .808 OPS over 121 minor-league games, so another team may be willing to claim him off waivers.

The Blue Jays are open to moving Guerrero to third base next season if they're able to acquire a first baseman this offseason, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Heyman lists Pete Alonso as the bat the Blue Jays could bring in to force a position switch for Guerrero. Vlad Jr. made 11 starts at the hot corner this season and was an everyday third baseman during his rookie year back in 2019. How eager Toronto might be to move the slugger across the diamond on a full-time basis isn't clear, but it might be considered for the opportunity to add the right bat.