MLB Player News

Smith agreed to terms on a one-year, $2 million contract with the Nationals on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Smith was presumably looking for a landing spot with few obstacles in his path to playing time as he looks to rebuild his career after a pair of down seasons, and he's seemingly found one in Washington. After hitting .299/.366/.571 in 2019 and 2020, he hit just .233/.298/.345 across the past two years. Even a modest bounce-back should be enough to secure him a spot as the Nationals' primary first baseman, but it's far from guaranteed that one is on the cards.

Higgins was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Thursday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Chicago announced the signing of veteran catcher Tucker Barnhart on Thursday, and Higgins was DFA'd to make room on the roster. Higgins appeared in 74 games during 2022 and had a .229/.310/.383 slash line with six home runs and 30 RBI.

Rivas was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Friday.

Rivas slashed .235/.322/.307 with 25 RBI over 287 plate appearances last season while playing first base in the majority of Chicago's games. As someone who doesn't hit the ball that hard and tends to strike out quite a bit, he may not be suited for a contributing role in the majors, though he has found success in Triple-A. The move comes as a result of the Cubs claiming Anthony Kay off waivers from the Blue Jays.

The Reds will give Steer an extended look at third base to begin the 2023 season, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Steer spent most of his 2022 season, both in the minors and majors, at third base, though he also saw significant time at second base and shortstop during his time in the minors. The Reds seem more committed to Steer, whom they got in the Tyler Mahle trade last season, than they do with Mike Moustakas.

Santana has agreed to a one-year, $6.7 million deal with the Pirates, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Santana played for both the Mariners and Royals during the 2022 season, finishing the year with a .202/.316/.276 slash line. The 31-year-old will be a prime candidate to play DH for Pittsburgh due to his plate discipline and power.

Goldschmidt was named the 2022 National League MVP on Thursday.

Goldschmidt -- a seven-time All-Star -- earned his first MVP award after mashing 35 home runs and tallying over 100 RBI and runs in a single season for the first time since 2017. Paired with strong plate discipline, he also managed a 177 wRC+ -- the highest mark in the National League and third-highest among all hitters. In total, Goldschmidt earned 380 points in voting, well out-pacing Manny Machado, who finished second with 291.

Singleton was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Singleton recently re-signed with Milwaukee on a minor-league deal, and he's now been bumped up to the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old, who was a highly-regarded prospect with the Astros nearly a decade ago, spent 2022 at Triple-A Nashville and had a .219/.375/.434 slash line with 24 home runs, 87 RBI and 84 runs in 134 games. He'll likely receive an invite to big-league camp but will need a strong showing in spring training to have a chance of cracking the Opening Day roster.

Young cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Young appeared in just six games for the Cubs at the tail end of last season, recording five hits and three walks over 22 plate appearances. Most of his time was spent in Triple-A, where he slashed .228/.309/.415 over 455 plate appearances. Whether or not he returns to the Cubs' 40-man roster will likely depend on if he can improve those numbers in 2023.

Hoskins went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Astros in Game 3 of the World Series.

Hoskins capped off the Phillies' five-homer night with a solo shot off Lance McCullers in the fifth inning, knocking the Astros' starter out of the game. The 29-year-old continued his amazing stretch of power in the postseason -- he has 11 hits over 56 at bats and six of them are home runs. Hoskins also reached a five-game hit streak with his performance in Game 3, over which he has hit four homers and knocked in seven RBI. He will look to stay hot against projected starter Cristian Javier in Game 4.

Bohm went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Astros in Game 3 of the World Series.

Bohm tacked on the third run of the night for the Phillies with a solo shot off Lance McCullers in the second inning, one of five homers for Philadelphia on the night. The 26-year-old has now recorded an extra-base hit in all three games of the World Series after hitting three in the previous 11 postseason games. Bohm is now hitting .208 with eight RBI in the postseason across 48 at-bats. The young third baseman will look to keep his power surge going Wednesday night in Game 4 of the World Series.