MLB Player News

Reds manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that he'd like to see Encarnacion-Strand play third base during spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Encarnacion-Strand was expected to be the team's primary first baseman in 2024, but hand and wrist injuries limited him to 29 games. He started seven games at third base for the Reds in 2023, and the hot corner was a regular spot for Encarnacion-Strand in the minors and college. Francona indicated that several infielders will "move around" at the beginning of spring training before the manager settles on a position for players like Encarnacion-Strand, Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario.

Horwitz will miss time during spring training due to a right wrist injury, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Horwitz was traded from Toronto to Cleveland and then Pittsburgh back in December and was expected to begin 2025 as the Pirates' primary first baseman. However, he suffered a wrist injury in the offseason that required surgery and has yet to shed his cast. There's no telling if the infielder's absence will extend into the regular season, but if he ends up beginning the season on the injured list, Jared Triolo would likely be the next man up to start at first.

Steer could be limited to designated-hitter duty at the beginning of the spring training schedule due to shoulder soreness, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Steer battled some shoulder soreness late last season and apparently still isn't quite over the issue. It does not seem to be something to get overly worried about at this juncture, but that could change if the soreness continues to linger. It's not clear when exactly Steer's shoulder began bothering him last season, but he slashed only .165/.268/.294 in September.

Stewart (wrist) will be part of major-league camp in spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Stewart, the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 draft, batted .279/.391/.454 with eight home runs and 46 RBI over 80 games at High-A Dayton in 2024. A July wrist injury prematurely ended his season. An advanced approach at the dish is Stewart's calling card; he has nearly as many walks (138) as strikeouts (139) and owns a 15.7 career strikeout rate during his stay in the minors. Stewart split his time evenly between second and third base at Dayton and is expected to open this season at Double-A Chattanooga.

Alonso agreed to terms on a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Alonso previously rejected a three-year deal worth roughly $70 million, but the 30-year-old slugger will end up remaining in New York for the foreseeable future as the Mets' everyday first baseman. His new deal will pay him $30 million in 2025 and includes an opt-out after the first season, which could allow him to enter free agency once again next winter.

Mervis will be given a chance to win a starting role with the Marlins in spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Jonah Bride is penciled in as the starting first baseman headed into camp, but the 29-year-old doesn't profile as much of an offensive threat given his career .667 OPS and 12 homers over 565 big-league plate appearances. Mervis is coming off a brutal 2024 campaign that included a .235/.329/.434 in 81 games for Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' system, but the 26-year-old was viewed as one of the top first-base prospects in baseball just one year before after slugging 22 home runs with a .282/.399/.533 line in 100 appearances for Iowa. If Mervis can regain that form, he should quickly seize a spot at the heart of a Marlins' batting order that is lacking in established power threats. Mervis and Bride could also end up platooning at first base, with Mervis on the strong side, if rookie Deyvison De Los Santos shows enough this spring to break camp as the team's starting DH.

Freeman (ankle) said Saturday that he has resumed swinging a bat but has yet to begin running this offseason, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Freeman added that he likely won't be ready for the start of Cactus League play, but he expects to be active for the Dodgers' two-game series against the Cubs in Tokyo. The 35-year-old first baseman underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his right ankle in early December. He also reportedly tore ligaments in his ankle during the Dodgers' postseason run, but they healed before his procedure.

Cooper agreed to a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Sunday that includes an invitation to big-league spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Cooper had a .566 OPS in 36 games between the Red Sox and Cubs last season and spent much of the campaign at Triple-A Norfolk in the Orioles organization. The 34-year-old has experience at first base and in the corner outfield, but he'll likely need a strong showing in spring training to have a chance of making the Opening Day roster.

Naylor agreed to a one-year, $10.9 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Naylor slashed .243/.320/.456 with 31 home runs and 108 RBI with the Guardians last season -- good enough to secure a $4.3 million salary increase entering his first year in Arizona. With Christian Walker now in Houston, Naylor is expected to handle most of the workload at first base.

The Giants and Wade avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5 million contract Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This was Wade's final year of arbitration eligibility, as he's slated to hit free agency next winter. While the 31-year-old is the current favorite to open the 2025 season as the Giants' primary first baseman against right-handed pitching, there have been reports of the club seeking help at the position from outside the organization and also whispers of Wade being available via trade.