MLB Player News
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Josh Naylor 1B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Josh Naylor: Headed to Arizona
Naylor was traded from the Guardians to the Diamondbacks on Saturday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Arizona needed a first baseman after Christian Walker signed with Houston on Friday, and Naylor should be slated to fill an everyday role for his new team. The 27-year-old tallied career-best marks with 31 home runs, 108 RBI and 84 runs over 632 plate appearances during the 2024 regular season while slashing .243/.320/.456 over 632 plate appearances. Naylor's batting average was a big drop-off from 2023, when he hit .308, but he finished as one of 14 big-leaguers with 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBI. Naylor is in his final season of team control and can be a free agent at the end of the 2025 campaign.
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Eric Wagaman 1B | LAA
Marlins' Eric Wagaman: Signs on with Miami
The Marlins signed Wagaman to a one-year contract Friday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Wagaman was non-tendered by the Angels last month. The 27-year-old got a cup of coffee with the Halos in 2024, slashing .250/.270/.403 with two homers in 18 games with a .274/.339/.469 line and 17 home runs last year in the minors. Wagaman should have a pretty good chance to make the Opening Day roster as a utility player on a talent-deficient Marlins club.
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Spencer Horwitz 1B | PIT
Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Rerouted to Pittsburgh
The Guardians traded Horwitz to the Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for Josh Hartle, Luis Ortiz and Michael Kennedy, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Just hours after being traded to Cleveland in the deal that sent Andres Gimenez to Toronto, Horwitz will now land in Pittsburgh instead while the Guardians add to their organizational depth. The 27-year-old has covered first and second base during his time in the big leagues and should have no problem starting regularly in a Pirates infield that lacks impact bats. Moving to Pittsburgh will also reunite him with hitting coach Matt Hague, under whom Horwitz posted a .790 OPS in 2024.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Undergoes ankle procedure
Freeman underwent surgery on his right ankle Thursday that involved the removal of loose bodies from the area.
Ankle issues plagued Freeman throughout the Dodgers' postseason run, but the 35-year-old first baseman was able to play through the injury, winning World Series MVP honors in the process. He is still expected to participate in baseball activities during spring training, and his status for Opening Day shouldn't be affected.
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Patrick Wisdom 3B | CHC
Cubs' Patrick Wisdom: Designated for assignment
The Cubs designated Wisdom for assignment Wednesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly-acquired Eli Morgan. Wisdom, 33, fell off to a lowly .171/.237/.392 batting line this season for the Cubs. Rather than pay him a raise in arbitration, the team is removing him from the roster now. Wisdom slugged 76 homers from 2021-23 and still hits the ball very hard when he makes contact, so he should be able to find work with a club that's willing to deal with his strikeout problems.
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Trenton Brooks 1B | SF
Padres' Trenton Brooks: Lands with Friars
Brooks signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Wednesday.
Brooks struggled in his first 12 regular-season games as a big-leaguer, going just 3-for-25 with an RBI and six strikeouts with the Giants last year. However, he slashed .302/.410/.453 with 58 RBI over 407 plate appearance in the minors, which is good enough for the Padres to bring him in as organizational depth at first base.
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Owen Miller 1B | MIL
Rockies' Owen Miller: Shipped to Colorado
The Brewers traded Miller to the Rockies on Saturday in exchange for cash, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Miller spent the majority of 2024 with Triple-A Nashville, where he slashed .274/.353/.382 with 36 RBI across 385 plate appearances. He'll have a better chance of getting back to the majors as part of the Rockies organization, though he will first need to be added to the 40-man roster.
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Wilmer Flores 1B | SF
Giants' Wilmer Flores: Sticking with Giants
Flores (knee) exercised his $3.5 million player option for 2025 on Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Flores slashed just .206/.277/.318 with 26 RBI across 242 plate appearances in 2024 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in late July. Given his poor performance and injured knee, he was unlikely to receive more than $3.5 million on the open market, making it easy to see why he chose to opt in for 2025. It's unknown if he'll be ready for the start of spring training.
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Rhys Hoskins 1B | MIL
Brewers' Rhys Hoskins: Exercises $18 million player option
Hoskins exercised his $18 million player option for 2025 on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
It's possible Hoskins could have netted a multi-year deal on the open market, but it's unlikely he would have been able to top an average annual salary of $18 million. In his first year back from ACL surgery, Hoskins slashed .214/.303/.419with 26 home runs across 131 games for the Brewers. Slated to turn 32 in March, Hoskins should be Milwaukee's primary first baseman again in 2025, with some starts at designated hitter mixed in.
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Malcom Nunez 1B | PIT
Pirates' Malcom Nunez: Back with Pittsburgh as NRI
The Pirates re-signed Nunez to a minor-league contract Friday with an invitation to spring training, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Nunez, who turns 24 in March, slashed .250/.310/.365 with 11 home runs over 128 games this season for Triple-A Indianapolis. He'll be with the Pirates in spring training but is likely headed back to Indianapolis to begin 2025.